Clams are clean

Clams pass first testing with flying colors (or should it be burrowing colors?), says the Fish and Wildlife folks: On September 20, 2010 WDFW announced tentative dates for an October recreational razor clam opener.  These dates cannot be confirmed until two rounds of marine toxin testing are completed. 

MARINE TOXIN TESTING: Prior to the tentative October razor clam opener announce earlier this week, the first round of required razor clam samples from all beaches has been completed. The results were announced today by the Washington Department of Health (WDOH) and they are listed below.  The second round of testing is scheduled for September 30 with results likely available by October 4.

Recall, before any of the five management beaches 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 and 80 micrograms/100 grams for PSP) on both of the two required sample collections. Note that “NTD” means “no detect” and that 38 μg/100g is the lowest level of PSP that can be detected.

MARINE TOXIN RESULTS (First round for October 2010 opener):

Long Beach: Sept. 21; domoic acid = <1 ppm / PSP = 53 μg /100g

Twin Harbors: Sept. 21; domoic acid = 1ppm / PSP = 38 μg/100g

Copalis: Sept. 21; domoic acid = NTD / PSP = NTD

Mocrocks: Sept. 21; domoic acid = 1 ppm / PSP = < 38 μg/100g

Kalaloch: Sept. 21; domoic acid = NTD / PSP = < 38 μg/100g

For more information on razor clams, including how seasons are set, population sampling techniques and how to dig, clean and cook razor clams please see the following link:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/razorclams/

For more information on domoic acid and other harmful algal blooms, see the following links:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/science/articles/razor_clams/index.html

http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/research/projects/algal_bloom/index.html

http://www.orhab.org

http://www.bigelow.org/hab/location.html

http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/hab/

http://www.ecohabpnw.org/