The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has approved a recreational razor clam dig on Copalis Beach for Dec. 24, 25 and 26, after several rounds of marine toxin tests showed the clams there are safe to eat.
All other Washington coastal beaches, including those on the South Beach, remain closed to recreational razor clam digging.
Two passing tests required
According to Dan Ayres, state Coastal Shellfish Manager, “Before a beach can be opened for the harvest of razor clams, Washington State Department of Health (WDOH) protocol requires that all razor clam samples collected from that beach must test under the action level of 20 parts per million (ppm) for domoic acid; 80 µg/100g for PSP; and 16 µg/100g for DSP) on both of the two required sample collections.”
Domoic acid woes
According to Ayres, samples collected on either Dec. 14 or Dec. 15 resulted in all beaches testing below the action level for Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) and Diarrhetic Shellfish Poison (DSP).
However, domoic acid levels are a different story. Recent tests show that Twin Harbors Beaches have the highest levels of domoic acid present in razor clam tissue on the Washington Coast. Twin Harbors Area XH (north) showed a domoic acid level of 38 ppm; Twin Harbors Area CL (middle) - 27 ppm and Twin Harbors Area G (south) - 50 ppm.
Mockrocks had two areas that tested slightly above the 20 ppm level, with one at 22 and another at 25.
“Testing will continue on these beaches, but we have no prediction when digging might open,” Ayres said in a recent press release.
Long Beach and Copalis fared better, with all beaches at each location testing below the action level this time around. A second successful test before the end of the year is required at the Long Beach sites to determine if any of those beaches may possibly be opened to clam digging in early January.
Copalis Beach low tides
Dec. 24, Thursday, 5:47 p.m.; -1.2 ft.
Dec. 25, Friday, 6:30 p.m.; -1.3 ft.
Dec. 26, Saturday, 7:12 p.m.; -1.1 ft.
The Copalis Beach stretches from the Copalis River south to the Grays Harbor north jetty and includes the popular areas of Ocean Shores, Oyhut, Ocean City and Copalis. It is the only beach that will be open for digging.
Under state law, diggers can take 15 razor clams per day and are required to keep the first 15 they dig. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container.
All diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable 2015-16 fishing license to harvest razor clams on any beach. Licenses, ranging from a three-day razor clam license to an annual combination fishing license, are available on WDFW’s website at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov and from license vendors around the state.