LAPUSH — Quileute biologists are developing a test to more quickly detect harmful toxins in shellfish, a staple food in tribal members” diets.
The tribe, in a partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is looking at the relationship between phytoplankton blooms, toxins in sea water and the accumulation of toxins in shellfish, said Debbie Preston, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission coastal information officer.
High toxin levels in harvested clams and crab can cause serious illness or even death, Preston said.
