Shellfish Water Classification Program (SWCP) – Marine Water Quality Data in Canada

This dataset provides marine bacteriological water quality data for bivalve shellfish harvest areas in Canada (British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Quebec). Shellfish harvest area water temperature and salinity data are also provided as adjuncts to the interpretation of fecal coliform concentration data. The latter is the indicator of fecal contamination monitored by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) within the framework of the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program (CSSP). The geospatial positions of the sampling sites are also provided.

These data are collected by ECCC for the purpose of making recommendations on the classification of shellfish harvest area waters. ECCC recommendations are reviewed and adopted by Regional Interdepartmental Shellfish Committees prior to regulatory implementation by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field	Value
Last Updated	April 17, 2026, 19:11 (UTC)
Created	April 17, 2026, 19:11 (UTC)
contact_email	ec.msqeinformation-wqmsinformation.ec@canada.ca
contact_person	{"en": "Government of Canada; Environment and Climate Change Canada,1-800-668-6767,ec.enviroinfo.ec@canada.ca", "fr": "Gouvernement du Canada; Environnement et Changement climatique Canada,ec.enviroinfo.ec@canada.ca"}
criticality_level	[]
data_dictionary	["environment", "oceans"]
geographic_scope	[]
open_canada_collection	fgp
open_canada_date_published	2018-12-20 00:00:00
open_canada_keywords	{"en": ["Bacteriological Water Quality", "Shellfish", "Harvesting Shellfish", "Shellfish Sanitation", "Shellfish Areas", "Shellfish Areas Classification", "Marine Water", "Water Pollution", "Fecal Coliform", "All applicable data content", "Water quality", "Molluscs", "Water pollution", "Classification", "Water - Quality", "Assess Toxicity; Manage and Monitor for Environmental Presence of Hazardous Substances and Waste", "Monitor / Assess Substance and Waste Levels in Air; Water; Soil; Biota", "Atlantic - Newfoundland and Labrador (NL)", "Quebec (QC)", "Atlantic - Prince Edward Island (PE)", "National (CA)", "Atlantic - New Brunswick (NB)", "British Columbia (BC)", "Atlantic - Nova Scotia (NS)", "Science and Technology Branch", "Water Science and Technology", "1.2.1. Water Quality and Aquatic Ecosystems Health", "Unclassified"], "fr": ["qualité bactériologique de l'eau", "mollusque bivalve", "cueillette de mollusque", "salubrité des mollusque", "secteur coquillier", "classification des secteurs coquilliers", "eau marine", "pollution de l'eau", "coliformes fécaux", "Tous les contenus de données applicables", "Qualité de l'eau", "Mollusque", "Pollution de l'eau", "Classification", "Eau - qualité", "Évaluer la toxicité de la présence dans l'environnement des substances et des déchets dangereux; les gérer et les surveiller", "Surveiller et évaluer les niveaux des substances et des déchets dans l'air; l'eau; le sol; le biote", "Atlantique - Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador (NL)", "Québec (QC)", "Atlantique - Île-du-Prince-Édouard (PE)", "National (CA)", "Atlantique - Nouveau-Brunswick (NB)", "Colombie-Britannique (BC)", "Atlantique - Nouvelle-Écosse (NS)", "Direction générale des sciences et de la technologie", "Sciences et technologie; Eau", "1.2.1 Qualité de l'eau et santé des écosystèmes aquatiques", "Non Classifié"]}
open_canada_subject	["nature_and_environment"]
sensitivity_level	unrestricted
title_fr	Programme de classification des eaux coquillières (PCEC) – Données de la qualité des eaux marines au Canada
update_frequency	P6M