I agree with Ben. Red Tide is a real and dangerous problem and I would never advise anyone to eat any seafood that is under a ban. That being said, every year there are some who disregard the ban and end up in the hospital deadly ill. Just a couple of weeks ago we seen some nice mussels on the shoreline but without knowing if there was a Red Tide ban, the mussels lived another day, otherwise they would of made a nice dinner...

Unfortunately Red Tide is here to stay, however with caution taken by harvesting out on large tidal areas with no ban and away from sheltered bays and backwaters, shellfish can still be safely harvested and enjoyed. If you were ever stranded on the coast and there was no Red Tide, you would never go hungry due to the fish, shellfish and vegetation available