Shellfish Quality
The Shellfish Hygiene Directive, although not a Directive directly protecting water quality, stipulates the level of treatment required depending on numbers of bacteria in the shellfish flesh. This Directive is designed to protect human health. Since shellfish are grown in the natural environment, it is a commonly held view that the concentration of bacteria in the flesh directly relates to the quality of the surrounding water in which they grow. The monitoring undertaken as a consequence of this Directive can therefore be used as an indicator of water quality.
Under the Shellfish Hygiene Directive, standards are set in terms of concentrations of coliform bacteria and salmonella. Shellfish are classed in categories ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘P’ where ‘A’ is the highest quality and can be collected direct for human consumption. ‘P’ is the poorest quality and shellfish are prohibited from collection. Monitoring for the Shellfish Hygiene Directive is carried out by the local authorities and the data is collated by the Food Standards Agency. The table below lists the designated bivalve mollusc production areas in the study area and their individual classifications.
Bed Name |
Species |
Common Name |
Class |
Thames Estuary |
|
|
|
Nid and NE Maplin Sands |
Cardium edule |
Common edible cockle |
A |
Foulness Sands |
Cardium edule |
Common edible cockle |
A |
Leigh Foreshore |
Cardium edule |
Common edible cockle |
C |
Leigh Foreshore |
Mytilus edulis |
Blue Mussel |
C |
Chapman Sands |
Cardium edule |
Common edible cockle |
C |
Chapman Sands |
Mytilus edulis |
Blue Mussel |
C |
Southend Flats |
Mytilus edulis |
Blue Mussel |
C |
Southend Flats |
Cardium edule |
Common edible cockle |
B |
West of Southend Pier |
C.gigas |
Pacific Oyster |
B |
Phoenix |
Cardium edule |
Common edible cockle |
B |
East Shoebury Beacon |
Cardium edule |
Common edible cockle |
B |
Scrapsgate |
Cardium edule |
Common edible cockle |
B |
Yantlet Flats |
Mytilus edulis |
Blue Mussel |
B |
Grain |
Mytilus edulis |
Blue Mussel |
B |
Sheppey |
Mytilus edulis |
Blue Mussel |
B |
North Kent Coast |
|
|
|
The South Oaze |
Mytilus edulis |
Blue Mussel |
B |
Whitstable |
Mytilus edulis |
Blue Mussel |
B |
Whitstable Bay |
C.gigas |
Pacific oyster |
B |
Hern Hampton |
Mytilus edulis |
Blue Mussel |
B |
Beltinge Bay |
Mytilus edulis |
Blue Mussel |
B |
Herne |
Mytilus edulis |
Blue Mussel |
B |
Reculver |
Mytilus edulis |
Blue Mussel |
B |
Swalecliffe |
Mytilus edulis |
Blue Mussel |
B |
Pollard |
C.gigas |
Pacific oyster |
B |
Pollard |
T.philippinaru |
Manila Clam |
B |
Pollard |
Cardium edule |
Common edible cockle |
B |
East Last Bank |
Ostrea edulis |
Native or flat oyster |
B |
East Last Bank |
Mytilus edulis |
Blue Mussel |
B |
Clite Hole |
Ostrea edulis |
Native or flat oyster |
B |
Clite Hole |
Mytilus edulis |
Blue Mussel |
B |
The Street |
Ostrea edulis |
Native or flat oyster |
B |
The Street |
Mytilus edulis |
Blue Mussel |
B |
Kentish Flats |
Ostrea edulis |
Native or flat oyster |
A |
Kentish Flats |
Cardium edule |
Common edible cockle |
B |
North of Hook |
Cardium edule |
Common edible cockle |
B |
South of Hook |
Cardium edule |
Common edible cockle |
B |
Margate Sands |
Cardium edule |
Common edible cockle |
B |
Minnis Bay |
Mytilus edulis |
Blue Mussel |
B |
Minnis Bay |
Cardium edule |
Common edible cockle |
B |