May 5 2017

Razor clam digging closed for the season on 3 beaches; Dig at Mocrocks depends on toxin tests

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

May 4, 2017
Contact: Dan Ayres, (360) 249-4628

Razor clam digging closed for the season on 3 beaches;
Dig at Mocrocks depends on toxin tests

OLYMPIA – Three of Washington’s ocean beaches will remain closed to razor clam digging for the rest of the season while a potential dig at Mocrocks depends on additional toxin tests.

Test results on razor clams dug at both Long Beach and Twin Harbors beaches indicate levels of domoic acid exceed the threshold (20 parts per million) set by state public health officials, said Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

“Based on the most recent toxin tests, razor clams will not be safe to eat for the remainder of the month at Long Beach or Twin Harbors,” Ayres said.

Toxin levels at Copalis beach are below the health threshold. However, the beach will remain closed because diggers reached the number of harvestable razor clams for the season there, Ayres said.

State shellfish managers will consider scheduling an opening at Mocrocks later in May, depending on the results of two toxin tests, Ayres said. The first test results indicate levels at Mocrocks are just below the threshold. A second test is scheduled for next week.

“It’s possible toxin levels at Mocrocks will remain low enough to allow another dig there,” Ayres said. “But we need to see what the next results show before scheduling an opening.”

The department likely will make an announcement next week on whether there will be another dig at Mocrocks this season.

WDFW routinely closes the razor clam fishery by the end of May when the clams begin to spawn. The next season will begin in fall, when the older clams have recovered from spawning and a new generation begins to grow beneath the sand.

Domoic acid, a natural toxin produced by certain types of marine algae, can be harmful or even fatal if consumed in sufficient quantities. The toxin has posed problems for razor clam and crab fisheries along Washington’s coast for the last two years.

More information about domoic acid, as well as current levels at all ocean beaches, can be found on WDFW’s webpage at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/razorclams/domoic_acid.html.

2016 Coastal Razor Clam Updates

From: Dan L. Ayres | Coastal Shellfish Manager

SEASON UPDATE: Washington recreational razor clam harvest will open in January 2016. Below are the opening dates, the time of the evening low tides and the beaches that are included:

. January 7, Thursday, 4:57 p.m.; 0.1 feet, Long Beach

. January 8, Friday, 5:37 p.m.; -0.4 feet, Long Beach, Copalis

. January 9, Saturday, 6:16 p.m.; -0.8 feet, Long Beach, Copalis

. January 10, Sunday, 6:55 p.m.; -1.0 feet, Long Beach

. January 11, Monday, 7:34 p.m.; -1.0 feet, Long Beach

. January 12, Tuesday, 8:14 p.m.; -0.8 feet, Long Beach

. January 13, Wednesday, 8:56 p.m.; -0.4 feet, Long Beach

. January 14, Thursday, 9:40 p.m.; 0.2 feet, Long Beach

Please note that the Copalis razor clam beach includes, Ocean Shores, Oyhut, Ocean City and the Copalis areas. The Long Beach razor clam beach includes Seaview, Cranberry, Klipsan , Ocean Park and Oysterville.

A description of each beach and a map can be found at:http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/razorclams/

BEACHES THAT REMAIN CLOSED INCLUDE:

Mocrocks Beach (just north of Copalis); which includes Iron Springs, Roosevelt Beach, Seabrook, Pacific Beach and Moclips).

Twin Harbors Beach; which includes Westport, Grayland and North Cove

For details go to the following web link: http://www.wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/razorclams/current.html

MARINE TOXIN UPDATE:

Listed below are the most recent marine toxin levels, as announced by the Washington Department of Health (WDOH) on January 4, 2016.

This is the second of two rounds of Long Beach and Copalis razor clam samples required by WDOH before any recreational razor clam opener. As you can see, the Long Beach and Copalis samples are all below the action level for domoic acid, Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP). As a result, WDOH has allowed WDFW to proceed with this Long Beach and Copalis razor clam harvest opener. Testing will continue on Long Beach Copalis and if toxin levels remain low, additional digging will be scheduled on these beaches later in January. Details will be forthcoming.

This is the first of two rounds of Mocrocks razor clam samples required by WDOH before any recreational razor clam opener. As you can see, the Mocrocks samples are all below the action level for domoic acid, Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) and Diarrhetic Shellfish Poison (DSP). As a result, IF the next round of samples (scheduled for collection before the end of the year) test below the action level, WDFW will announce tentative dates for a razor clam dig on Mocrocks in January – likely around the good tides near January 22, 2016. More details will be forthcoming.

Domoic acid levels at Twin Harbors remain consistently above the action level. Testing will continue on this beach, but we have no prediction when digging might open.

Recall, before a beach can be opened for the harvest of razor clams, WDOH protocol requires that all razor clam samples collected from that beach must test under the action level (20 ppm for domoic acid; 80 µg/100g for PSP; and 16 µg/100g for DSP) on both of the two required sample collections.

Note that in all of these samples; only razor clam meat tissue is tested.

These samples were collected on either 12/29/15 or 12/30/15

Long Beach Reserve (north):

domoic acid = 19 ppm

PSP = none detected