The Washington State Department of health announced on Friday that any razor clams harvested on Thursday, May 7, taken from a 145-mile stretch of coastline from Long Beach north to Kalaloch need to be destroyed because of high levels of the marine toxin, domoic acid.
At about the same time on Friday, Oregon State Department of Health officials issued an order for the immediate and emergency closure of razor clam digging and mussel gathering on Clatsop County beaches. By this time, the levels of domoic acid were rising rapidly.
As a precaution, all commercial razor clams harvested have been recalled, and harvesting of razor clams has been cancelled until after the weekend.
Jerry Borchert, coordinator of the Washington State Department of Health’s Marine Biotoxin Program said “All razor clams harvested from coastal beaches on Thursday May 7th should not be eaten. Anyone who has eaten shellfish from this area and who experiences symptoms of Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) should see a physician.”
Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) victims can have a number of symptoms, including vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, dizziness, permanent short-term memory loss as well as a variety of other illnesses. There is no antidote for this poisoning, and cooking or freezing does not destroy the toxin.
People are also warned not to eat the “crab butter” in caught crabs, and only to consume the crab meat. The health department, along with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife and coastal Tribes, said the domoic acid levels will continue to be monitored and the public will be notified when the beach areas will reopen.
The domoic acid levels recorded this week are the highest seen since 2002, when the razor clam digging was closed for a year. To see the beaches closed because of a biotoxin alert, recreational harvesters can check the state’s Shellfish Safety Map: https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/eh/maps/biotoxin/biotoxin.html, or call the biotoxin hotline at: 1-800-562-5632.
