Pin

Submitted by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

The late February 2019 recreational razor clam opener will proceed. The upcoming dig is approved on the following beaches, dates, and evening low tides:

  • February 15, Friday; 3:11 p.m.; 0.4 feet; Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
  • February 16, Saturday; 4:08 p.m.; -0.3 feet; Twin Harbors, Copalis, Kalaloch
  • February 17, Sunday; 4:59 p.m.; -1.0 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks, Kalaloch
  • February 18, Monday (HOLIDAY); 5:46 p.m.; -1.4 feet; Twin Harbors, Mocrocks, Kalaloch
  • February 19, Tuesday; 6:31 p.m.; -1.5 feet; Twin Harbors
  • February 20, Wednesday; 7:14 p.m.; -1.3 feet; Twin Harbors
  • February 21, Thursday; 7:56 p.m.; -0.8 feet; Twin Harbors

NOTE: We have added one day at Long Beach to this schedule, Sunday Feb. 17.

Our web site will likely not be updated until tomorrow (February 13) when our Olympia office returns to full operation following weather related closures.

The following are the results from the second round of tests.

Marine Toxin Update

Listed below are the most recent marine toxin levels, as announced by the Washington Department of Health (WDOH) on February 8, 2019. As you can see, these samples are all below the action level for Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) from Domoic Acid, Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) and Diarrhetic Shellfish Poison (DSP).

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 all collected on 02/05/2019.

Long Beach Area E (north):

domoic acid =   6 ppm
PSP = none detected
DSP = none detected

Twin Harbors Area CL (middle):

domoic acid =   4 ppm
PSP = none detected
DSP = none detected

Copalis Area XL (middle)

domoic acid =   5 ppm
PSP = none detected
DSP = none detected

Mocrocks Area CP (middle)

domoic acid =   5 ppm
PSP = none detected
DSP = none detected

Kalaloch Area North

domoic acid =   4 ppm
PSP = none detected
DSP = none detected

For more information on razor clams, including how seasons are set, population sampling techniques and how to dig, clean and cook razor clams please see the following link:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/razorclm/razorclm.htm

For more information on marine toxins and other harmful algal blooms, see the following links:

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Pin

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR