By Pepper Fisher
PORT ANGELES – The Clallam County Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday that they have closed the harvesting of all species of shellfish along Clallam County’s East Juan De Fuca shoreline. That is, from the Lyre River to the Jefferson County line, including Dungeness Bay.
Because these biotoxin closures seem to be happening more often than they used to, we set out to learn more about what causes them and whether there’s any way for the average clam digger to tell whether clams are safe to eat.
Katie Kowal, Water Quality Specialist at the Clallam County Department of Health, confirms that it is happening more often, and tells us why.
“Over the past several years, we’ve seen a big increase in biotoxins, not only during the summer but moving into our fall and winter months, as well. And so that is, we think, correlated to increased ocean temperatures. So, as things get warmer, it produces conditions that are good for these phytoplankton to reproduce in high numbers, and then our shellfish are eating more of them, and then when we eat that shellfish, those toxins are then transferred into our bodies. And that can be really dangerous.”
Kowal says her agency sends people out every two weeks to test mussels and other clams, and there are others who test the local waters for phytoplankton every week.
Kowal also says the biotoxin phenomenon is separate from the red tide we’ve heard about for generations. She says these biotoxins can occur in crystal clear water and, despite what grandpa might have told you growing up, there’s no way to tell by looking, or licking, whether they’re safe to eat, and you can’t cook the toxins out.
“You know, historic knowledge is important, but also, there is no way to tell specifically whether or not the selfish you’re consuming will have high levels of this toxin. If you see a sign that says the beach is closed because there’s biotoxins present, it’s a good idea to trust it. So, unfortunately, there’s no way to remove them. And these biotoxins, when they’re present in shellfish, they can stay in different types of shellfish for different periods of time. So, that’s why we have differences in ‘this beach is closed to all species for harvest’, or a beach is only closed to butter or varnish clams.”
Earlier this month, health officials in Washington state confirmed a case of shellfish poisoning in a person who ate butter clams that were harvested in Island County. The person experienced tingling and numbness of the lips, tongue and extremities. Symptoms of the illness happen within minutes to a few hours after consuming contaminated shellfish and also can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of coordination and difficulty speaking or swallowing. In severe cases, people can experience total muscular paralysis with respiratory arrest.
So, before you head out for that next bucketful of bivalves, no matter the season, check in with the Department of Health to keep you and your family safe. Call Katie Kowal directly at (360) 417-2415, or check the Washington State Dept. of Health Shellfish Safety Map.
(Photo courtesy of WDFW)