Whatcom County beaches reopened to shellfish harvesting after biotoxin closures

The Washington State Department of Health has reopened recreational harvest of molluscan shellfish from Sandy Point up to the Canadian border. The harvest of molluscan shellfish – which include clams, mussels, oysters and scallops – was previously closed at these beaches due to unsafe levels of a paralytic biotoxin.

Paralytic shellfish poisoning biotoxin was detected in molluscan shellfish at Birch Bay on July 17, according to the health department. The biotoxin can cause severe illness and even death, and is not destroyed by cooking or freezing.

Shellfish harvest on tidelands within the Lummi Nation is not within the state’s jurisdiction and is closed to all non-Tribal visitors. As of Friday morning, Lummi Bay and Portage Bay are listed as safe for harvesting of all species. A portion of Portage Bay will be closed for harvesting due to poor water quality from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30.

For the most up-to-date information on shellfish closures, check the Washington Shellfish Safety Map online or call the Biotoxin Hotline at 800-562-5632.