You can be fined for taking seaweed from the water in WA. Here are the rules

In late April, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police announced that they had issued a citation to a group for harvesting seaweed near Sekiu on the Olympic Peninsula.

Taking some seaweed out of the water on a visit to the beach might seem like fair game, but it turns out it’s heavily regulated.

So what’s the line between picking up some seaweed and illegally harvesting it? Here’s what state law has to say.

Can you harvest seaweed in Washington state?

According to Becky Elder, a communications specialist with WDFW, you need a license to harvest seaweed from Washington beaches.

“Seaweeds are important components of marine ecosystems and form the foundation of many marine food webs,” Elder said in an email to McClatchy. “Fishes, birds, snails, crabs, and marine mammals use kelp beds for refuge, feeding, spawning and nursery grounds.”

Licenses cost $17.40 a year for most Washington residents, $7.50 for seniors and $36.10 for non-residents. You can also purchase a combination fishing license, which covers freshwater fishing, saltwater fishing, seaweed and shellfish, for $55.35 a year ($124.65 for non-residents and $19.05 for seniors), or $11.35 ($20.15 for non-residents) for a day pass.

You can purchase a license on DFW’s online portal.

Once you’ve obtained a license, RCW 79.135.410 still limits the amount of seaweed someone can harvest from a Washington beach to 10 pounds a day. The law uses the term “possession” as well, so taking loose seaweed from the beach is included in that category. The limit applies to the weight of seaweed when it’s wet, not after it dries.

In addition to obtaining a permit and respecting the weight limit, there are a few other rules that people harvesting seaweed need to follow, according to Elder.

You’re not allowed to sell or barter seaweed, use any instruments to cut it other than a knife, scissors, or something similar and you have to bring your own scale to measure it. You’re also not allowed to take any seaweed with herring eggs on it.

According to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, when taking seaweed from the water, you should start cutting at at least 12 inches above the start of the plant’s base.

Commercial harvesting of seaweed from a beach is illegal on both state and private lands, except for Macrocystis seaweed used in a herring spawn-on-kelp fishery, although commercial seaweed farms are still allowed.

Can you get fined for harvesting seaweed?

If you’re caught violating the seaweed harvesting regulations, according to RCW 79.135.420, it’s a misdemeanor. If the violation occurs on state land, the state’s unauthorized use of public land laws can come into play as well, which makes the person who took the seaweed liable for its monetary value as well as the damage to the environment, cost of restoration and any administrative costs associated with the damage.

On private land, the fine is more straightforward – you’re liable for three times the cost of the seaweed, the environmental damage and the cost to restore it. If the owner of the land is the one committing the offense, the damages are paid to the state, while if someone commits the offense on another person’s land, the damages go to the land owner.

However, according to Elder, citations are relatively rare.

“WDFW police last year made 61 contacts specific to seaweed harvest which resulted in three citations,” Elder said.

Even if you have a permit from DFW, you should check local rules and regulations as well.

“Counties and local municipalities may have further regulations, we recommend checking those before heading out,” Elder said.

Harvesting marine life

Beyond seaweed, Washington has similar laws in place for other sea plants and shellfish as well.

Regulations on taking clams from the beach depend on the species.

People looking to harvest sea urchins are capped at 18 a day for red, purple and green urchins, while harvesting white sea urchins is currently off limits. Relic sea shells are capped at five pounds a day, while oysters are limited to 18 a day, as long as they’re shucked on the beach and their shells are left where they were found.

Size limits vary by species and location. You should check for water pollution before harvesting as well.

You can see the full list of regulations here.

This story was originally published May 2, 2025 at 5:00 AM.