Razor clams

[Encore 280]

Recreational crabbing opened in Grays Harbor area but not Willapa    and it's only a couple miles down the road. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!

[GWP]

I fully agree on the transparency issue.  WDFW is notorious in my mind for not explaining virtually anything which isn't good policy in my opinion.  It wouldn't take a bunch of effort to type up a sentence or two explaining things every now and again.

“Biotoxin levels are too high to open”
I think that pretty well explains it. They test often. At one time I pulled up a graph that showed the testing and levels. Probably still there somewhere. The new interactive map was pretty interesting as it showed the levels were less in some of the bay areas just around the corner from the jetty. Protected I guess? I would have thought the reverse? Anyway, good to see the levels ‘might’ be coming down some.

[Limhangerslayer]

But the streamers and oysters are open in Willapa?  Maybe cause of all the commercial in there??

[Jake Dogfish]

https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/biotoxin/biotoxin.html
Willapa is closed to all clams and Crab.

[GWP]

Aaaaand it looks like crabbing in Grays Harbor area closed again.

[dilleytech]

Aaaaand it looks like crabbing in Grays Harbor area closed again.

Unless your crabbing in west port boat basin where the water is totally safe to crab in and not toxic at all.. Im I missing something? Where’s the logic?

[fishngamereaper]

Aaaaand it looks like crabbing in Grays Harbor area closed again.

Unless your crabbing in west port boat basin where the water is totally safe to crab in and not toxic at all.. Im I missing something? Where’s the logic?

You mean all the boat's dumping sewer and spilling diesel in the water... .  Totally healthy.

[GWP]

Aaaaand it looks like crabbing in Grays Harbor area closed again.

Unless your crabbing in west port boat basin where the water is totally safe to crab in and not toxic at all.. Im I missing something? Where’s the logic?

Thought I just read it had closed again. I will go look to see if once again I misread it. Won't be the first time or the last time I am afraid!

[NRA4LIFE]

New acid levels posted.  All beaches still high.  This ain't looking good folks.

[snarkybull]

I have seen a lot of confusion and some misinformation here.  Allow me to clarify as well as I can.  I am not full of excrement.  And I don't work for WDFW.  But I do believe in science.

First and foremost: Domoic Acid is real.  Look up amnesic shellfish poisoning and then decide for yourself whether that sounds like something you want to feed your family.  The damage to the hippocampi (the parts of your brain that forms new memories) is permanent.  I shudder at the thought of ingestion while pregnant.  Having said that, the limit of 20 parts per million is markedly precautionary.

Pseudo-nitzschia spp. (the diatom that produces domoic acid) has been long gone since fall.  For some reason the razor clams cling on to the toxin like their life depended on it.  The concentration obviously goes down over long periods of time.  The levels will jump around a fair bit because the clams are getting tested every couple weeks or so, and they are only digging a handful of razor clams each time.  The levels are going to bounce or wobble some but the trend is visible over time.  I personally think we have a good shot of getting out there in May when the depuration typically accelerates.

All the other types of clams and mussels will pick up the toxin and then purge it within days.  The oysters actively discriminate against eating these particular diatoms so hardly ever get any of the toxin in their systems.  The dungies having toxin in their bellies because they are eating razor clams.  The crab farther off-shore generally have less toxin due to diet, but the darn things move around a lot, so that is not a hard and fast rule.  The crabs in and around Willapa Bay have been eating the razors in the Willapa spits.  The crab in Westport boat basin are eating other things, but again they move, so I hardly understand leaving that open.  It does not compute to me.

The crabs are being tested for toxin concentration in their intestines, which is also known as crab butter.  I truly do not know why people would eat that, but some do and therefore ruin it for the rest of us.  But the toxin will hardly get into the meat of the crabs in appreciable quantities unless the toxin levels in the viscera are through the freaking roof.  Therefore whole crab can get banned from sales, but cleaned crab are ok.  Crab feeding behaviors and movement patterns are largely unknown and unpredictable, so it is entirely possible for the toxin concentrations to go up even as razor clam concentrations go down and the toxin-producing diatoms have been gone for months.  Maybe they are eating more razors now.  Nobody knows.

Last year, the Grays Harbor County and Pacific County's health departments did ban people from the beaches, especially because of razor clam crowds, and we cannot predict how they will respond this year.

[GWP]

While I am not a biologist, I talked to three different ones, and you pretty much nailed it. They check the levels often, but have to go with the 'safety for all' to the lowest common denominator.
Sort of like the 'Gorilla Glue In The Hair' deal. Can't wait to see what the fallout will be from that!
Like a meme I saw recently:
If you think your Generation is so smart, Why did car Owner Manuals from years ago show you how to adjust the valves. The new ones don't, and warn you about not drinking the fluid from the battery?
 

[pnwbestlife]

With the new acid levels updated, I've written a new blog post about it here: https://pnwbestlife.com/washington-razor-clam-update-march-2021/

In summary, Mocrocks and Copalis beaches are the closest to safe levels, but still have a lot of work to do. My hope is that they relax the one beach vs all beaches restriction at some point with the COVID cases dropping and we get an April opp on Mocrocks and Copalis...other than that...may not happen until the fall.

-Kyle

[Stein]

I think WDFW has already stated it's all or nothing.  Of course they may change their mind, but at least recently that was their position.

[2MANY]

Bet the WDFW breakroom is open and there is nothing but toxin in there.

Doughnuts....... Gotta get DOUGHNUTS!!!

[hhack]

What a load of crap