Recreational shellfish harvesting closes in north Whatcom County beaches

The Washington state Department of Health (DOH) closed all recreational shellfish harvesting in north Whatcom County beaches, from Sandy Point to Point Roberts, due to unsafe levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), according to an October 6 Whatcom County Health Department announcement.

North Whatcom County recreational shellfish harvesting had previously reopened in late August after PSP levels forced it to close in June. All Whatcom County beaches are closed to recreational harvesting because south Whatcom County beaches have been closed.

Commercial shellfish in restaurants and markets, such as Drayton Harbor Oyster Company, are safe to eat because they’ve been tested, according to the health department.

The health department will continue to monitor shellfish biotoxin levels and will notify the public when the shellfish becomes safe to eat again. The DOH keeps an updated list of biotoxin and pollution closures at bit.ly/3caFDiH and on its biotoxin hotline at 800/562-5632.

PSP biotoxin in molluscan shellfish – which includes clams, mussels, oysters and scallops – can cause severe illness and death. Symptoms include numbness and tingling of lips and tongue within a few minutes to couple of hours of eating toxic shellfish, according to the health department. Tingling can progress to fingers and toes, loss of control of extremities and difficulty breathing. Cooking or freezing food does not destroy the PSP biotoxin.