Molluscan shellfish harvest reopens in northern Whatcom County
Molluscan shellfish harvest from Sandy Point north to the Canadian border including all of Point Roberts reopened Thursday after Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) biotoxin levels dropped in shellfish in northern Whatcom County.
Shellfish harvest south of Sandy Point to the Skagit County border remains closed. Shellfish harvest on tidelands within the Lummi Nation is closed to non-tribal visitors.
Molluscan shellfish includes clams, mussels, oysters and scallops.
PSP biotoxin can cause severe illness in under 30 minutes if enough is consumed, according to Whatcom County Health and Community Services (WCHCS).
Symptoms can first include numbness and tingling of lips and tongue. This can begin within minutes of eating toxic shellfish or may take an hour or two to develop. This can progress to tingling of fingers and toes, then loss of control of arms and legs, followed by difficulty breathing.
Symptoms can also include nausea or experiencing a sense of floating. If enough toxin is consumed, the chest and abdomen muscles can become paralyzed, including muscles used for breathing, causing an individual to suffocate, according to WCHCS.
Mussels usually contain the highest toxin concentration. Paralytic shellfish poisoning and other naturally occurring biotoxins are not destroyed by cooking or freezing. Crab meat is not affected, but “crab butter” and crab entrails can harbor biotoxins and should always be discarded, according to WCHCS.
The Washington State Department of Health licenses and inspects commercial shellfish operations to ensure shellfish intended for markets and restaurants are tested, harvested, handled, and shipped safely so they should be safe to eat.
Shellfish harvesters are advised to check for biotoxin and pollution closures using the WA Shellfish Closure map or call the DOH Biotoxin Hotline at 1-800-562-5632 before harvesting shellfish anywhere in Washington State.
The Lummi Nation Beach Closures webpage has the latest harvest information within the Lummi Nation.
