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TLBaja79
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Clams, Scallops & Shellfish and the letter 'r'
I have heard you do not eat clams, scallops or shellfish during any months without an 'r' (basically May through August)
Is this true?
I'm headed to Loreto in a couple weeks and obviously want to indulge in everything Loreto has to offer but if I'm gonna get sick....
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shari
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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we eat it year round so it seems the R rule doesnt apply here.
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Ateo
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I heard the same thing on many surf trips back in the day. Never been sick eating mussels off the rocks - ever - and I feed them to mi ninos!!
What do I know? Am I poisoning my family? Not yet.
- On edit: I've learned why I heard the rumors. It happens! Doesn't sound like much in Baja. Algae blooms.
[Edited on 5-21-2014 by Ateo]
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TLBaja79
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Exactly, I too have always eaten them whenever I find them. But I'm scared crazy about eating bad shellfish. Good to know that others eat them
throughout the year and you are also alive!
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Cliffy
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It was and is a big deal on the California coast with the Red Tides. In those months the Red Tide shows up (a micro organizium) that puts poison into
the shell fish as they are filter feeders.
Here's a couple of references that might interest you-
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/MusselQuarantineFAQ.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_tide
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woody with a view
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it has to do with red tides.......
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Marc
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| Quote: | Originally posted by woody with a view
it has to do with red tides....... |
Exactly
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beachbum1A
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They acknowledge the same warning in New England. Don't think they have red tides in the Atlantic?
Just do it!
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durrelllrobert
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Also it's illegal to take them at anytime of the year unless you are a Mexican national?????
Bob Durrell
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drzura
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| Quote: | Originally posted by durrelllrobert
Also it's illegal to take them at anytime of the year unless you are a Mexican national????? |
That is very true and I think some people seem to "forget" that.... It will probably take one or two people getting a hefty fine or put in the
slammer to get them to change that habit.
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Ateo
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Mi esposa es Mexicana and she does the harvesting. 
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Skipjack Joe
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On our california central coast we are warned even when there are no red tides.
The worst that can happen is some retching and diarrhea. Nothing really serious.
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BooJumMan
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Well in the past 2 weeks I've had weird oyster experiences. A whole bag I bought from local fish market was all in "spawning mode" so they were all
white and bubbly and gross. Then I had some from Canada at a restaurant and 2 of the 8 were definitely bad. I know thats just how it is with oysters,
but darn!
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dasubergeek
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As with all food in Mexico, buy from the places that are busiest, because they have the most to lose if they sell bad food. Doņa Sabina doesn't shut
down La Guerrerense in the summer months, and I've eaten all kinds of shellfish there in July with no ill effects.
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Cypress
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Yep, "spawning mode" oysters aren't choice, the months without "R's" are the spawning months.
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woody with a view
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possibly, without an actual visible red tide (which means an organism is multiplying) think about most beaches in the US are polluted to some degree
and may cause a spawn to micro nutrients more so than a warm water event (months with an R).
Baja doesn't have that issue unless you are harvesting clams around playas de TJ, Baja Malibu sewer outfall, Ensenada sewage strewn coastal waters,
etc....
keep in mind I'm not a biologist but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
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shari
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the laws apply to everyone gringos & mexicanos alike...usually it's OK to get some mussels to eat, just no lobster,clams or abs
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sancho
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| Quote: | Originally posted by shari
the laws apply to everyone gringos & mexicanos alike...usually it's OK to get some mussels to eat, just no lobster,clams or abs
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Technically mussels are in the crustacean family, which is
on the no take list, I assume these regs are to protect
the commercial fisherman. Saw that mussels are farmed
raised in Ensenada Bay. Back in the day, the popular fish
Cabrilla was on the no take list, not sure if mussels are
harvested commercailly in Baja or not
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bajabuddha
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The "No 'R' Rule" is based on fact; the ocean is warmer during those months, and the bacteria that produces true 'red tide' can cause gastrointestinal
distress, and can be a big deal if you ever get it. This doesn't mean all shellfish and bivalves are affected everywhere, but just a generality of
possibility. So, it's a crapshoot if you do... and good for those who get lucky.
Also, anyone familiar with Baja waters knows that in the winter there is a 'red-tide' that comes and goes occasionally, and is bioluminescent;
actually orange and sort of oily in nature; these are spawn from the half-beak and needlefish, and not to be confused with the actual Marea Roja
that'll give you the Hershey Squirts. Summertime, very warm water, and shellfish generally don't mix. I for one just won't take the risk; not my
idea of a good evening's fun.
I don't have a BUCKET LIST, but I do have a F***- IT LIST a mile long!
86 - 45*
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Skipjack Joe
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| Quote: | Originally posted by sancho
| Quote: | Originally posted by shari
the laws apply to everyone gringos & mexicanos alike...usually it's OK to get some mussels to eat, just no lobster,clams or abs
|
Technically mussels are in the crustacean family, which is
on the no take list, I assume these regs are to protect
the commercial fisherman. Saw that mussels are farmed
raised in Ensenada Bay. Back in the day, the popular fish
Cabrilla was on the no take list, not sure if mussels are
harvested commercailly in Baja or not |
Mussels are molluscs.
Well, except the ones at Venice Beach. Those are mutants.
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