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Clam dig?
OLYMPIA – Rising marine toxin levels have prompted the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to cancel a razor clam dig scheduled at Long Beach and delay final decisions about digs at Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks beaches until next week.Olympic National Park will also wait until next week to decide on a dig at Kalaloch Beach, pending the results of further biotoxin testing.
Previous plans for a dig starting late next week were put on hold after routine testing found elevated levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) in clams collected on coastal beaches, said Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager.
PSP is a marine toxin produced by a certain type of algae that can cause paralysis and even death if consumed in sufficient quantities.
Ayres said toxin levels in clams dug this week at Long Beach violate health standards established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, ruling out an opening at that beach. Early next week, WDFW will conduct additional tests on clams collected at the other beaches, where PSP levels also appear to be on the rise.
“It’s always disappointing to cancel a razor clam dig, and we hate to make people wait for answers on the other beaches,” Ayres said. “But public safety comes first, which is why we test razor clams before every public dig.”
Ayres said final decisions on a revised razor-clam opening will be announced by Thursday, Jan. 28. Unless it is canceled, the dig at Twin Harbors will be delayed, since it was originally scheduled to open Jan. 27, Ayres said.
Updates on the razor clam dig scheduled for next week will be posted on WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/razorclm/season.htm.
Frank Cox, marine biotoxin coordinator for the Washington Department of Health, said he suspects PSP is moving northward from the Oregon coast, where beaches have been closed to razor clam digging since December.
“There are a lot of uncertainties about how this will affect Washington beaches, which is why we recommend erring on the side of caution,” he said.
Cox noted that the PSP toxin cannot be removed by cooking or freezing. Although no human fatalities from PSP have been reported in Washington since 1942, people still get sick every few years – usually after eating toxic shellfish collected from closed beaches, Cox said.
No coastal beaches have been closed to razor-clam digging because of elevated PSP levels since 1993, Ayres said. A different marine toxin, domoic acid, prompted a season-long closure in 2002-03.
See what has happened, now you can not even be facetious here.
Some people have gone way overboard.
Too much touchy feely, is that what I am trying to say?
For the life of me I can’t see what the connection with toxic clams and the past and present city administration is. Perhaps any subject serves as a bully pulpit for writers who want to vent.Try this one! The Carp are not feeding where the elodea is most profuse. Perhaps Dave Creighton is directing them in the opposite direction. Sorry Dave just kidding to make my point.
Thanks Tom…………I think we got it now. Don’t spresd politics with clam sauce.
Dan Ayres’ answer from Clammer’s second question:
“Marine toxins can be very spotty and it is possible for one beach to have a problem and another to be OK. This particular toxin outbreak is puzzling because we are unable to find any of the typical plankton species – in our surf zone water samples – that might cause a toxin issue. This is one reason WDOH has asked for some additional sampling.”
clam dig is off.too much pre bunkers run off.
then the clam dig thread should have been left alone as to comments about city government.
Squeaky, I think that was a sarcastic remark. The city has become toxic and is affecting the water?
i would still like to know what McEachin has to do with beaches being closed for high toxin levels. did he have a magic toxin cleaning wand that was not passed on to Mayor Bunkers?
Thanks. Ok, next question (I guess I should have asked this before you contacted Mr. Ayres the first time…) How is it that the toxin’s presence can be so “spotty”? Meaning if they have already determined that Twin Harbors is not safe, why isn’t the whole coast? By what they are saying it sounds like it is technically possible to say, close all the beaches north and south of OS, but there would be a safe “pocket”. And what conditions make the toxin more likely to be present?
Good question, clammer. And the answer, from the expert:
Hi Tom – marine toxins do eventually purge from razor clam tissue – through normal metabolic functions. However, razor clams do tend to concentrate marine toxins more than other species of shellfish and “hang –on” to it longer. That is one reason we are asked by Wash Dept. of Health to test before every opener…
————————————————————-
Dan L. Ayres
Coastal Shellfish Lead Biologist
Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife
Email : ayresdla@dfw.wa.gov
Tom, I’m curious as to how the toxin leaves the clams. It would seem once they had the toxins that whole “generation” would not be fit to eat ever. Got an insider who could answer this?
don’t speak for me. it appears evident that a person is not allowed to express one’s own oppinion around here. i guess it’s protection for those sensetive souls that can’t handle the heat. i am quite offended that someone would write what was written below and put my moniker on it. shame on you. i’ll even bet this entry gets removed. p.s. i meant what i said and am not sorry one iota. i guess that if i bashed the mayor i would have been more proper.
Squeeky, shame on you, that was a PERSONAL ATTACK, not permitted on here. Thank you for apologizing. But Tom, you should really be more proactive about shutting this sort of thng down on here. Saying some is dumb is just really mean. Tsk tsk to both of you!
I’m sorry happy clams, that was very rude and insensitive of me to say that to you. I hope that I did not offend you by that remark, and hope that you will forgive me. I just can’t help it, i’m an idiot sometimes…
yeah,nothing,just like the city administrator.
It’s clear to anyone that looks at this problem of these toxins is that it is the fault of our current government. If McEachin was still the City Administrator, there would still be a clam dig next weekend…