Mark Kapczynski eagerly anticipated attending a seafood festival in Los Angeles last December. He and his wife had VIP tickets to enjoy a variety of shellfish, including oysters from British Columbia's Baynes Sound. However, after consuming several “Fanny Bay” oysters, Kapczynski experienced severe abdominal pain and vomiting for hours. "After three or four hours, I wished I was dead it hurt so much," he said, describing it as the most painful experience of his life.

Recent data reveals that over a third of federal recalls related to Canadian oysters in the past six years are linked to Baynes Sound, a harvesting area on Vancouver Island known for its history of sewage contamination. Reports indicate that human waste from nearby homes and boats is the primary cause of these health issues. Since 2019, 14 of the 39 health recalls of Canadian oysters issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration originated from this region, where more than 50 companies are licensed to farm oysters.

This year, all eight Canadian oyster shipments rejected at the U.S. border were from Baynes Sound. In March, the FDA issued import warnings regarding oysters from two suppliers in the area. Nico Prins, executive director of the B.C. Shellfish Growers Association, emphasized that the problem lies in the water quality, not the farmers. "This isn’t something farmers are doing to their oysters. This is something happening to the waters we grow them in," he stated, attributing the issue to long-standing government failures and a lack of effective collaboration with the industry.

Norovirus, a common pathogen found in oyster recalls, is primarily transmitted through human waste. Dr. Natalie Prystajecky, an environmental microbiologist at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, noted, "It’s human waste, absolutely. Norovirus is only transmitted from human to human. So if you have norovirus, you have been exposed to human fecal material."

Investigative reports have analyzed six years of shellfish recall data and interviewed numerous stakeholders, revealing how human waste can travel vast distances and contaminate oysters. This was evident in December 2024 when Baynes Sound oyster beds were closed just two days before a significant recall due to possible norovirus contamination. By that time, potentially tainted oysters had already reached restaurants and markets across North America.

Despite the risks, the oyster industry continues to thrive. Canada’s oyster market reached $66 million in 2022, with British Columbia leading production. Americans consume approximately 42.3 million pounds of oysters annually, with Canada being the largest exporter to the U.S. However, the nature of oysters, which are often consumed raw, poses unique health risks. Oysters filter water and can ingest harmful organisms, including bacteria and viruses, making them susceptible to contamination.

Bob Rheault, a former oyster farmer and executive director of the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association, highlighted the challenges of norovirus, stating, "It takes 10 viral particles to get you sick and every gram of vomit and feces has seven billion particles in it." Tracing the source of norovirus outbreaks is complicated due to the multiple handling processes oysters undergo before reaching consumers.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. and Canada fall ill from norovirus, but the actual number of cases linked to contaminated oysters remains unclear. Many individuals do not provide stool samples necessary for confirming the source of their illness. Prystajecky referred to the official illness numbers as a "gross underestimation."

The prevalence of mixed shellfish plates at restaurants further complicates traceability. Kapczynski's experience at the L.A. Times 101 Best Restaurants event, where nearly 90 attendees fell ill, underscores the issue. Following the outbreak, health advisories were issued, and recalls were initiated for oysters from Baynes Sound.

Baynes Sound, located near Denman Island, has a long history of shellfish farming. Farmers harvest oysters by hand and transport them to processing facilities for grading and packing. Timothy Green, an aquaculture expert, pointed out that human sewage contamination from failing septic systems is a significant concern. He criticized the lack of action from government agencies, stating, "It seems to be that the powers that be are absolutely powerless to stop this from happening."

Government oversight of the oyster industry involves multiple agencies, complicating efforts to address contamination issues. The B.C. Ministry of Health acknowledged the difficulty in monitoring the source of fecal contamination, stating, "Current surveillance methods can only detect whether there is fecal bacteria in the water." Without knowing the specific source, it is challenging to implement effective prevention measures.