CAN U DIG IT SAFE SHELLFISH HARVESTING APP
To help harvesters find safe places to harvest clams and oysters, Q'ul-lhanumutsun Aquatic Resources Society has developed a mobile app in collaboration with Trailmark Systems Inc. called Can U Dig It. Can U Dig It is free to download, free to use, and designed for use in both Atlantic and Pacific regions.
Intertidal clams and oysters are an important traditional food source to Q'ul-lhanumutsun Aquatic Resources Society six Hul'q'umi'num Member Nations and, as such, ensuring the safe consumption of shellfish is one of QARS’ priorities. Intertidal clams and oysters are filter feeding animals. They feed by filtering plankton out of the water using their gills. Because they are filtering sea water, they also filter and accumulate other particles, including marine biotoxins, bacteria, and viruses, in their tissues. These marine biotoxins, bacteria, and viruses are often harmful to humans. Information released to the public regarding safe places to harvest clams and oysters has generally not been accessible or clear to harvesters. The Can U Dig It mobile app allows harvesters to see graphically on a map where it is safe to harvest shellfish and for what species.
