Save the date: March 31 is the date all 2020-2021 annual shellfishing licenses expire. New licenses are on sale April 1. Get your annual shellfishing license and enjoy all the other shellfishing activities that are possible around WA State, including the Puget Sound and beyond.
Month: March 2021
Surf Zone Phytoplankton Assemblages
Say what?… Below is the “Ides of March” update from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). We continue to keep you updated with the best information on recreational razor clamming in WA State.
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RECREATIONAL RAZOR CLAM UPDATE, March 15, 2021: The most recent razor clam domoic acid test results look a little more encouraging than what we have seen to date. The details are below. However, no future razor clam dates will be announced until domoic acid levels in razor clams drop below the action level. We plan to collect the next set of samples at the end of March and will have a clearer picture then if any digging might occur in April or May.
MARINE TOXIN UPDATE:
Listed below are the most recent marine toxin levels, as announced by the Washington Department of Health (WDOH). To see previous results, see the web link below.
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 two required sample collections, that must be spaced 7 to 10 days apart. The results must also show a declining trend between samples.
Note that in all these samples; only razor clam meat tissue is tested.
Long Beach Area E (north): Collected 3/10/21
· domoic acid = 26 ppm
· PSP = none detected
· DSP = none detected
Twin Harbors Area CL (middle): Collected 3/10/21
· domoic acid = 31 ppm
· PSP = none detected
· DSP = none detected
Copalis Area XL (middle): Collected 3/10/21
· domoic acid = 22 ppm
· PSP = none detected
· DSP = none detected
Mocrocks Area CP (middle): Collected 3/10/21
· domoic acid = 19 ppm
· PSP = none detected
· DSP = none detected
Over-all, Washington razor clams continue to follow the historical pattern of slowly depurating (losing) domoic acid and for the last several months we have observed the levels “bounce around” considerably. As we have previous described, this is a result the individual 12 clams we randomly harvest when we are collecting samples. However, the report above shows some nice declines on all beaches. If you are interested, you can check out the historical domoic acid data at the link below.
These results and the historical record of domoic acid events can be found at: https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/basics/domoic-acid/levels (click on “show historical data”) and then hover your curser over the data points for more detail).
Along with sampling collecting razor clam every two week, WDFW together with our colleagues in the ORHAB (Olympic Region Harmful Algal Bloom) partnership continue on-going observations of the surf zone phytoplankton assemblages.
WDFW Update on Razor Clam Digs
Below is an update on razor clamming and the marine toxin situation from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
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RECREATIONAL RAZOR CLAM UPDATE: No future razor clam dates will be announced until domoic acid levels in razor clams drop below the action level. We have no projections of when that might be. However, we do know that in three of the four major domoic acid events that occurred in the fall (1991-92, 1997-98 and 2002-03), domoic acid levels in razor clams remained elevated through the end of the season.
We will continue to test every two weeks. To see previous results, see the web link below.
MARINE TOXIN UPDATE:
Listed below are the most recent marine toxin levels, as announced by the Washington Department of Health (WDOH).
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 two required sample collections, that must be spaced 7 to 10 days apart.
Note that in all these samples; only razor clam meat tissue is tested.
Long Beach Area E (north): Collected 2/24/21
· domoic acid = 57 ppm
· PSP = none detected
· DSP = none detected
Twin Harbors Area CL (middle): Collected 2/23/21
· domoic acid = 39 ppm
· PSP = none detected
· DSP = none detected
Copalis Area XL (middle): Collected 2/23/21
· domoic acid = 26 ppm
· PSP = none detected
· DSP = none detected
Mocrocks Area BC (middle): Collected 2/23/21
· domoic acid = 29 ppm
· PSP = none detected
· DSP = none detected
As you can see, Washington razor clams continue to follow the historical pattern of slowly depurating (losing) domoic acid. The hope for getting a chance to dig any time soon is fading. We also are observing the levels “bounce around” considerably, as they have in past events. This is a result the individual 12 clams we harvest when we are collecting samples. The toxin “load” can vary greatly between individual clams. The laboratory protocol requires the clams to be cleaned and then the meat from all 12 (per area) are blended together. Then a sample of that mixture is analyzed and one result is reported for that area. If you are interested, you can check out the historical domoic acid data at the link below.
These results and the historical record of domoic acid events can be found at: https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/basics/domoic-acid/levels (click on “show historical data”) and then hover your curser over the data points for more detail).
Along with sampling collecting razor clam every two week, WDFW together with our colleagues in the ORHAB (Olympic Region Harmful Algal Bloom) partnership continue on-going observations of the surf zone phytoplankton assemblages.
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