Razor clamming to open on Clatsop and Gold beaches

NEWPORT - Razor clamming will reopen Oct. 1 opening along the 18 miles of Clatsop beach and Gold Beach. Other beaches around the state still have domoic acid levels too high to allow digging.

Recent testing by the Oregon Department of Agriculture found domoic acid levels less than 8 parts per million at all the sampling sites on the Clatsop beach from Tillamook Head to the mouth of the Columbia River, well below the 20 ppm that would trigger a closure. Razor clam harvesting will also open from the north spit of the Rogue River to the California boarder due to declining toxin levels.

Other Oregon beaches remain closed because of high domoic acid levels. Oregon Department of Agriculture officials said the beaches at Newport tested at 45 ppm, Waldport at 36 ppm and Coos Bay at 40 ppm - too high to open for clam digging.

Shellfish harvesting areas are closed to all harvesting when toxins exceed an alert level. Alert levels, 20 ppm for domoic acid provides a margin of safety and halt harvest before toxins reach a higher level that may cause illness.

ODFW staff recently completed the 2005 Clatsop Beach Razor Clam Assessment project. Preliminary results show an overall larger clam population than in 2004. But this year's survey shows the number of clams larger than 3 1/2 inches is lower than last year. A significantly larger number of smaller recruit clams bodes well for future seasons.

 The 18 miles of Clatsop Beach from the mouth of the Columbia to Seaside produce more than 90 percent of Oregon's harvested razor clams and associated effort. On average, the annual recreational harvest is 551,000 clams a year from 48,000 digger trips. 

A razor clam reaches maturity in its second year of life. A harvestable size of 31/2 inches is obtained in the first year of the clam and about 41/2 by the second year. Growth slows after the second year as energy is used for reproduction rather than accelerated growth.

A shellfish license is required to harvest all shellfish. The daily limit for razor clams is the first 15 taken regardless of size or condition.

For additional information please visit the Oregon Department of Agriculture website at http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/FSD/shellfish_status.shtml or call their shellfish hotline at 503-986-4728 or 1-800-448-2474.

 

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