Biotoxin testing leads Whatcom County to close shellfish harvest season in two harbors
The Whatcom County Health Department on Thursday, May 23 announced recreational harvest of all molluscan shellfish has been closed for the foreseeable future after unsafe levels of biotoxins were recently detected in Drayton Harbor and Bellingham Bay.
The closure includes clams, mussels, oysters and scallops.
The county amended its original release with an updated version Friday, May 24.
“Biotoxins found in shellfish cannot be destroyed by cooking or freezing, and while crab meat is not affected, “crab butter” and crab entrails can be and should be thrown out,” according to the release.
“Shellfish sold in restaurants and at markets need to be tested before they are sold to be sure they are safe to eat. These toxins cannot be seen, and need to be detected in a laboratory,” the county warned.
People harvesting shellfish can check for biotoxin or pollution closures at https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/biotoxin/biotoxin.html or call the Department of Health Biotoxin Hotline at 1-800-562-5632.
