‘Potentially hazardous’ shellfish seized at Chichester Harbour

A multi-agency operation has been launched to crackdown on shellfish being illegally harvested from Chichester Harbour.

As part of Operation Pearl, potentially hazardous shellfish were seized by authorities on Tuesday, August 17.

Months of covert investigations had taken place to understand how the illegally harvested shellfish were reaching food businesses and consumers, Chichester District Council said

This has led to a number of agencies including the council, Sussex Police, Food Standards Agency, National Food Crime Unit, Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority and Gangmaster Labour Abuse Authority working to tackle suspected harvesters and any businesses taking the products.

Shellfish that are not harvested from monitored areas may be unsafe for human consumption. They can carry E coli, norovirus or be contaminated with high levels of toxic chemicals.

Chichester District Council cabinet member for the environment, Penny Plant said it’s a growing problem in coastal areas.

“This is a very complex issue and one which we have been working on for some time,” she said.

“We have tried various ways to discourage harvesters from collecting shellfish from the harbour, and this work has led to a multi-agency approach.

“The fact that we are working with such a wide variety of partners on this operation and have collected so much evidence, sends a strong message to the harvesters, and the food businesses that buy from them, that we will not tolerate this behaviour.

“We are going to review the further evidence we have collected from the operation, which may result in legal proceedings against the offenders. We would also like to thank members of the public who have assisted us with regular information on these matters.

“The commercial collection of shellfish is tightly regulated, and shellfish sold on the black market could have serious consequences for public health and will damage the reputation of the industry.”