Shellfish poisoning in Japanese waters

Abstract

Under the supervision of the Fisheries Agency, each prefectural government has the responsibility of carrying out monitoring programs. Although some problems exist, monitoring operations have been proceeding successfully. Investigations concerning various aspects of shellfish poisoning are being conducted by 6 national institutions, 15 universities, and about 30 fisheries laboratories. Because shellfish poisoning is a kind of natural phenomenon, the only defense is the establishment of precise monitoring techniques to reduce damages. Efforts to improve monitoring, however, need to be carried out through fundamental research.