Public health officials in Clallam and Jefferson counties have announced closures of multiple beaches for recreational shellfish harvesting due to high paralytic shellfish poison levels in shellfish samples sent to the state Department of Health.
In Jefferson County, new closures are in Port Ludlow and Mats Mats Bay.
In Clallam County, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, from Cape Flattery to the Jefferson County line, has been closed for all species, including clams, geoduck, oysters, mussels and other invertebrate species such as moon snail.
Discovery Bay and Sequim Bay remain closed for butter and varnish clams only.
Coastal beaches have not been sampled since they are already under a seasonal closure by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Paralytic shellfish poison is a biotoxin released by the marine plankton Alexandrium. Shellfish eat this plankton and the biotoxin can accumulate in their meat.
Symptoms of paralytic shellfish poisoning, which can appear within minutes or hours, include tingling of the lips, tongue, hands and feet, followed by difficulty breathing and paralysis.
Paralytic shellfish poisoning can be fatal. People experiencing these symptoms after consuming shellfish should call 911. The heat-stable toxin is not destroyed by cooking or freezing.
Butter and varnish clams retain the toxin longer than other species, which is why they often remain closed longer than other species.
Crabmeat does not retain the biotoxin, but it can be present in crab guts and butter, the white-yellow fat inside the back of the shell, so they should be thoroughly cleaned and the crab butter and guts should be discarded.
For more information, call the Biotoxin Hotline at 1-800-562-5632 or visit www.doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety.htm.
