SEATTLE — The Washington State Department of Health this week announced harvest restrictions in three of Washington’s 115 shellfish growing areas due to high bacteria levels.
After completing an annual water quality evaluation of the state’s commercial shellfish growing areas, the DOH found several harvesting areas in Mason County do not meet public health water quality standards, the department said in a news release.
Shellfish harvesting restrictions for portions of Annas Bay and the Lilliwaup and Tahuya areas of Hood Canal will be in place by August, the department said.
An additional 14 shellfish growing areas that currently meet water quality standards are at risk of harvest restrictions due to bacterial pollution:
- Dungeness Bay (Clallam County)
- Pacific Coast (Grays Harbor County)
- Liberty Bay (Kitsap County)
- Annas Bay, Hood Canal growing area 6 and Oakland Bay (Mason County)
- Bay Center (Pacific County)
- Burley Lagoon, Henderson Bay and Vaughn Bay (Pierce County)
- Upright Channel (San Juan County)
- Port Susan (Snohomish County)
- Eld Inlet (Thurston County)
- Drayton Harbor (Whatcom County)
In March, 16,000 acres of Puget Sound shellfish beds were closed to harvest because of fecal pollution, such as water runoff from agricultural activities, pet waste, boater waste discharge and on-site sewage systems, according to the DOH.
State health officials said they are working with county partners, other state agencies, shellfish growers and tribal governments to find and fix pollution problems.
Building on state, local and tribal governments’ pollution prevention programs, the DOH has invested about $38 million from the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Estuary Program since 2011, with an additional $5.5 million awarded last month to 11 proposed projects throughout Puget Sound.
The proposed projects support the Shellfish Strategic Initiative to reduce fecal pollution and improve marine water quality in Puget Sound, according to the Puget Sound National Estuary Program. The projects include focus on pollution identification and correction, on-site sewage system management and livestock manure management.
The DOH advises people to maintain their septic systems, pick up pet waste, use pump out stations for boats and recreational vehicles and manage animal waste from large and small farms to help mitigate water pollution.
“Clean water is the result of everyone doing their part,” said Scott Berbells, the DOH shellfish growing area section manager. The department is responsible for the safety of commercially harvested shellfish in Washington, using national standards to classify all 115 commercial harvest areas.
Washington is the nation’s leading producer of farmed shellfish. The Puget Sound nearshore is home to an abundance of oysters, clams, mussels and other bivalve molluscan shellfish. Restoring and protecting harvestable shellfish beds will ensure these shellfish are safe to eat, the Puget Sound National Estuary Program has said online.
Recreational harvesters can get up-to-date harvest information on the department’s Shellfish Safety Map.
