PORT TOWNSEND — Jefferson County beaches on the Hood Canal have been closed to recreational harvesting of shellfish while many on the Strait of Juan de Fuca have been declared safe for shellfish gatherers.
The Hood Canal shoreline in Jefferson County has been closed to recreational shellfish harvesting from Dabob Bay to the Mason County line because of high levels of the marine biotoxin that causes potentially deadly paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP).
But in Clallam County, a wide stretch of beaches from Pillar Point east to the Jefferson County line have been declared clear of PSP.
The state Department of Health late Thursday extended a previous closure of Quilcene and Dabob bays to include Hood Canal from Seal Rock south to the Jefferson-Mason County line.
Dabob Bay and Quilcene Bay beaches had been closed May 1.
That closure extended south to Zelatched Point on the Toandos Peninsula and across Dabob Bay to just north of Seal Rock on Hood Canal.
The newest closure includes public beaches at Seal Rock and Dosewallips and Triton Cove state parks, among others.
Public meeting set
A public meeting has been set to explain why Brinnon area beaches have been closed.
A special meeting has been scheduled at the Quilcene Community Center, 294952 U.S. Highway 101, at 6:30 p.m. this Thursday to discuss the causes of closures last fall and now.
Clara Hard, public health adviser from the state health department, will talk about why the areas are closed, the program that monitors harmful algae blooms and the health risks of the different biotoxins.
She will answer questions from the audience.
In Clallam County, restrictions against harvesting all species of shellfish from Pillar Point to the Jefferson County line were lifted Friday, leaving only Cape Flattery-area beaches closed.
The only exceptions are Sequim Bay and Discovery Bay, where butter clams and varnish clams remain off-limits.
Farther east, Kilisut Harbor, including Mystery Bay, and Port Ludlow, including Mats Mats Bay, also remain closed to butter clam ad varnish clam harvesting.
Ocean beaches in both counties are presently closed for the season for harvesting of all species of shellfish.
The closure applies only to recreational harvesting. Shellfish harvested commercially are tested for toxin prior to distribution and should be safe to eat, the state health department said.
Danger signs warning people not to consume shellfish from the area have been posted at high-use beaches.
The closure includes clams, oysters, mussels, scallops and other species of molluscan shellfish.
It does not apply to shrimp.
Crab meat is not known to contain the biotoxin, but the guts can contain unsafe levels.
To be safe, clean crab thoroughly and discard the guts (also known as the “butter”).
PSP can sicken and possibly kill people with marine toxins that are not destroyed by cooking or freezing.
In most cases, the algae that contains the poisons cannot be seen and must be detected by laboratory testing.
Symptoms of PSP can appear within minutes or hours and usually begin with tingling lips and tongue, moving to the hands and feet, followed by difficulty breathing and possible death.
Anyone experiencing such symptoms should contact a health care provider immediately and call 9-1-1 in extreme cases.
Before gathering shellfish, check the safety map at www.doh.wa.gov/ShellfishSafety.htm or call 800-562-5632.
Recreational shellfishers also should check state regulations at www.wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish.
