[ODFW-News] Razor clamming to open on Clatsop and Gold beaches

[ODFW News]

For immediate release Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2005
 
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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