PORT TOWNSEND — The state Department of Health closed Port Townsend Bay, Kilisut Harbor and Mystery Bay beaches to recreational shellfish harvesting after shellfish samples were found to contain elevated levels of marine biotoxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning.
The closure includes clams, oysters, mussels, scallops and other species of molluscan shellfish, and extends a previous closure that covered only butter and varnish clams.
Discovery Bay and the Strait of Juan de Fuca east to McCurdy (Middle) Point closed in June. In Clallam County, all beaches are closed to all species except Sequim Bay, which is closed only to the harvest of butter clams and varnish clams.
Ocean beaches are in a seasonal closure now.
Symptoms of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) can appear within minutes or hours and usually begin with tingling lips and tongue, moving to the hands and feet, followed by difficulty breathing and potentially death.
Toxins cannot be detected by sight or smell. Neither cooking nor freezing destroys biotoxins.
All species means clams, oysters, mussels and other invertebrates including the moon snail. The closures do not apply to shrimp.
Crab meat has not been known to contain biotoxins, but the guts can contain unsafe levels. To be safe, clean crab thoroughly and discard the guts (butter).
In most cases, the algae that contain the toxins cannot be seen and must be detected using laboratory testing.
Therefore, recreational shellfish harvesters are urged to check www.doh.wa.gov or phone 800-562-5632.
The emergency regulation hotline is 866-880-5431.
