BELLINGHAM — The Washington State Department of Health warned against harvesting shellfish along the Washington coast until further notice, after unsafe levels of Paralytic Shellfish Poison were detected.
PSP is a biotoxin produced by algae, which stays in the system of shellfish after they consume it. If a person eats shellfish contaminated with enough PSP, it can cause tingling, difficulty breathing, and in some cases it’s fatal.
Bobbi Hudson, executive director of Pacific Shellfish Institute, said in an interview that the Alexandrium species of phytoplankton is the most common species that causes unsafe levels of PSP and is currently “poisoning in our region.”
Harvesting in Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay is closed entirely due to “extreme” risk of PSP contamination. Several other harvest areas across the state are closed as well, with a full list available on the DOH website.
Hudson added that is common to hear of closures due to PSP in areas such as Hood Canal, San Juan Islands and the South Puget sound, but this is the first time in her 18-year career that a commercial shellfishing area on Washington’s coast has been closed due to PSP.
- What about commercial shellfish?
DOH hasn’t found a case of poisoning from commercial shellfish yet. But as a precautionary measure, it issued a recall of shellfish from certain areas of Willapa Bay harvested between May 26 and May 30. Willapa Bay is also temporarily closed for all commercial shellfish harvesting.
Hudson said commercial shellfish harvested on farms undergo extensive testing to deem consumption safe before the shellfish are distributed and sold at grocery stores.
“It’s almost like lot testing and it depends on the species. They will clear a particular growing area for most species, so they can look at things like mussels and clams, but then there are some clams that are known to hang on to certain biotoxins for a longer amount of time,” Hudson said. “At harvest, a subset of those particular clams will be tested, and so the testing is done by the state, so the farms work closely with the state so that when they’re harvesting product, it’s being tested first and that goes to a lab in Seattle and they actually use mice, so it’s a mouse bioassay that determines the level of this paralytic shellfish.”
Hudson also added that the closure of Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay can have negative financial effects on the commercial shellfishing industry and on shellfish farmers in that area.
“Our commercial shellfishing industry is hugely significant in Washington state. It’s a huge employer on the coast,” Hudson said. “It’s one of the leading employment methods in Pacific County, so you know shellfishing is huge in Mason County, Pacific County, but all across Washington state. Millions of dollars of revenue and products are generated from our commercial shellfishing industry.”
- How can you check if harvesting is safe again?
DOH maintains a map with the status of each of the state’s shellfish harvest areas. If you prefer your shellfish harvesting areas in list form, you’re in luck: DOH publishes a daily list of harvest areas that are closed.
- How to know if you have PSP poisoning?
PSP’s effects kick in soon after you’ve eaten contaminated shellfish. First, you’ll notice tingling in your lips or tongue, followed by tingling in your arms and legs. From there, it can escalate to difficulty breathing and muscle paralysis. If enough of the toxin is consumed, it can be fatal.
There is no known treatment specifically for PSP, according to DOH. Some of its symptoms can be treated — for example, difficulty breathing can be treated with a respirator — so you should still seek medical help if you think you might have ingested contaminated shellfish.
Full list of closures
As of June 5, the following shellfish harvest areas are closed for recreational harvesting, according to DOH:
- Discovery Bay
- Sequim Bay
- The Strait of Juan de Fuca from Cape Flattery
- Grays Harbor
- West Whidbey Island
- Discovery Bay and the Quimper Peninsula to Point Hudson
- Admiralty Inlet south to Port Ludlow
- Foulweather Bluff south to Point Southworth
- All of Pacific County
- East Sound
- Cypress Island, Sinclair Island and Guemes Island
- Samish Bay and Padilla Bay
- Port Susan
- Possession Sound from Picnic Point south to the King County line
- Bud Inlet
- All of Whatcom County
