OLYMPIA — The recreational razor clam season on all coastal beaches remains closed until further notice, shellfish managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced Wednesday.
Test results, released on Nov. 23 for razor clams, indicate domoic acid levels on all beaches, have exceeded the health guidelines for safe consumption set by Washington Department of Health (WDOH) officials.
“Unfortunately, we need to wait before we can get back to digging razor clams, but the good news is the clams are just getting bigger and fatter,” said Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager. “We’ll continue to work with our partners at WDOH to closely monitor razor clam toxin levels and reopen harvest as soon as clams are safe to eat.”
Domoic acid, a natural toxin produced by certain types of marine algae, can be harmful or fatal if consumed in sufficient quantities. WDFW learned from similar algae bloom events in the past that razor clams can be very slow to have domoic acid leave their meat tissue.
