Environment Canada calls for shellfish closure after storm

Executive chef Florentino de Aguiar says his Halifax restaurant doesn't get its mussels from Nova Scotia or Prince Edward Island.

Shellfish harvesters in Nova Scotia and parts of Prince Edward Island will have to hold off from digging for now.

Environment Canada issued a shellfish closure after the recent storm stirred up bacterial and viral contamination from sewage, making shellfish unsafe to eat.

Despite the warning, restaurants and customers don’t seem too concerned.

“They got to a harvest before the rain and with shrimp and scallops you can source them pretty much anywhere,” says executive chef Florentino de Aguiar. “All our seafood is safe, I guarantee it 100 per cent.”

Gordon Stewart, a member of the Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia, says customers may not see a change right away.

“We're going to see a shortage, there's going to be created demand. We're going to see a price increase whether they pass that on or not,” says Stewart.

Paula Krissler hasn’t let the warning stop her from chowing down on some seafood chowder during her visit to Halifax.

“I have no fear at all,” says Krissler. “I loved the seafood, the shellfish here and I have no issues.”

Environment Canada says it will check the water later this week and early next week and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will test seafood for safety.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Felicia Yap