Island Health is warning harvesters of the dangers of shellfish in closed areas.
They report there have been illnesses on southern Vancouver Island due to people harvesting from closed areas.
Due to summer temperatures, warmer water can increase toxic forms of algae in some sections.
Shellfish that can be affected include clams, oysters, whole scallops, mussels, cockles, geoducks, whelks, periwinkles, or the innards of crab.
Island Health says that contaminated shellfish will not look any different than non-contaminated, and cooking will not reduce the risk from toxins.