OLYMPIA – Following reports of potentially lethal levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) from the Washington Department of Health (DOH), the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today an immediate closure to all clam, mussel, oyster, and scallop (and other mollusk) harvest on all public beaches within Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) south of a line from Foulweather Bluff to Olele Point, and on all public beaches within Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal) until further notice.
WDFW harvest closures complement large-scale harvestclosures DOH announced today. Review the DOH shellfish safety map for biotoxin- or pollution-related closures and advisories. Water quality conditions change quickly; check the map the day you plan to harvest.
"This weekend's combination of warm temperatures, sunny weather, and low tides could be a draw for people visiting Hood Canal and other Puget Sound beaches," said Chris Eardley, WDFW's Puget Sound shellfish policy coordinator. "This closure is focused on urgently protecting public health and safety, given the extraordinarily high and dangerous levels of shellfish biotoxins specifically in Hood Canal and southern Admiralty Inlet."
Consuming shellfish from areas with high PSP toxins is very dangerous; biotoxins cannot be destroyed by cooking, freezing, or cleaning shellfish. Biotoxins can only be detected by laboratory testing; beach visitors cannot tell if shellfish are safe just by looking at them. PSP is a naturally occurring marine toxin produced by a species of algae.
There are several other areas of Puget Sound affected by other, unrelated DOH biotoxin closures — some with DOH closures for all species and some affecting only some species. Biotoxin status can also change quickly. Refer to the DOH website for additional information.
Other, open public shellfishing beaches on Puget Sound and Willapa Bay beaches can be found using the online "Find a beach" search tool at the bottom of the Department's clam, mussel, and oyster harvest webpage.
A valid shellfish/seaweed or combination fishing license is required. Licenses are available online and through the MyWDFW mobile app, at license dealers statewide, and at WDFW regional offices.
Refer to WDFW's webpage for information on state resource management, shellfishing tips, and bivalve shellfish identification (PDF) (PDF). The new "Harvest Basics (PDF)" rules two-pager (including multiple translations) and best clam and oyster harvest tides (PDF) (PDF) are also available.
The Department urges shellfish harvesters to correctly identify species (PDF) (PDF), adhere to daily limits, leave oyster shells on the beach, and refill dig holes to help prevent damaging habitat and killing clams. They should also avoid parking unsafely or illegally, such as along busy roadways.
Most state recreational harvest regulations do not extend to shellfish harvest on private tidelands for personal use. Treaty tribes also reserve rights in treaties to harvest shellfish on most tidelands and beaches. More information is available on the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission website.