2026 Amnesic Shellfish Toxin (AST) Event Bantry.

Quantifiable concentrations of Domoic Acid (Amnesic Shellfish Toxin(AST)) above regulatory levels have been observed in mussels from Glengariff during w/c 30th March, and mussel samples from Bantry North, Middle, South and Gearies from w/c 6th April and has been assigned Closed status. Elsewhere within Bantry, low quantifiable concentrations of Domoic Acid (below regulatory limits) in mussel samples have been observed. This AST event correlates with increases in cell numbers of the causative AST phytoplankton species within the genus, Pseudo-nitzschia seriata group, have been observed in production sites within Bantry during from w/c 23-03-26 to present week (w/c 30-03-26) Pseudo-nitzschia seriata cell densities can increase rapidly, causing AST toxicity to rapidly accumulate in shellfish species which can reach very high concentrations in a short duration of time. It is advised that both shellfish and water samples from the SouthWest are taken and submitted to the relevant laboratories for shellfish toxin and phytoplankton analysis as soon as possible at the beginning of each production week frequency.