Northern Whatcom County closed for recreational shellfish harvesting

The Whatcom County Health and Community Services (WCHCS) announced on July 17 that recreational molluscan shellfish harvesting had closed in northern Whatcom County after unsafe levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) biotoxins were detected in Birch Bay. The closure stretches from Sandy Point to Point Roberts, including Drayton Harbor.

Molluscan shellfish, which include clams, mussels, oysters and scallops, tend to have the highest concentration of toxins. PSP biotoxins cannot be destroyed by cooking or freezing. PSP biotoxins don’t affect crab meat, but “crab butter” and crab entrails can have the toxins and should be discarded.

According to the Washington State Department of Health, “PSP biotoxin can cause severe illness and death.

“Symptoms include numbness and tingling of lips and tongue, which may begin within minutes of eating toxic shellfish or may take an hour or two to develop.

“Symptoms may progress to tingling of fingers and toes and then loss of control of arms and legs, followed by difficulty in breathing. Some people feel nauseous or experience a sense of floating. If a person consumes enough toxin, the chest and abdomen muscles become paralyzed, including muscles used for breathing, and the victim can suffocate. Death from Paralytic Shellfish Poison has occurred in less than 30 minutes.”

Commercial shellfish sold in markets and restaurants, such as Drayton Harbor Oyster Company, has been tested prior to distribution and determined safe to eat.

Always check for biotoxin and pollution closures before harvesting shellfish recreationally. Updated closures can be found at bit.ly/4bHD8OE or by calling the Washington State Department of Health’s Biotoxin Hotline at 800/562-5632.