Bay Clamming Reopens on N. Oregon Coast, Razor Clamming South Coast

Published 6/22/24 at 5:55 a.m.
By Andre' Hagestedt, Oregon Coast Beach Connection

(Pacific City, Oregon) – Bay clamming has now returned to a larger section of Oregon coast, after getting closed off last month due to a serious biotoxin – and some razor clamming on the south coast is back after that was declared unsafe. (Nestucca Bay area, near Pacific City)

Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) announce new shellfish re-openings after tests have indicated clams are safe to eat. Once again open for bay clamming is the area from Cascade Head to the Washington border, which includes the bays at Nestucca (Pacific City), Netarts Bay, Tillamook Bay and Nehalem Bay.

Still closed to bay clamming is everything south of Cascade Head, which would include Lincoln City, Newport, Yachats, Florence, Winchester Bay, Coos Bay, Bandon, Port Orford, Gold Beach and Brookings.

“Levels of the marine biotoxin paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) have tested below the closure limit on two consecutive rounds of testing,” ODFW said.

Razor clamming is once again open along the south Oregon coast, from Port Orford and Cape Blanco southward to the California border. It's still showing issues between Yachats and Cape Blanco, however, although it's been open from Yachats into the north coast for awhile.

Courtesy Seaside Aquarium

“Levels of the marine biotoxin domoic acid have continued to test below the closure limit. Razor clamming also remains open from the Washington border to Yachats River,” ODFW said.

Open areas for razor clamming includes the Seaside - Warrenton area, which contains the most clams of the region. However, that area will be closed soon for the annual conservation closure starting in July.

Mussel gathering on the entire Oregon coast is still shut down. It was mussels that caused 21 people to get sick with PSP back in May, eventually causing all of Oregon's shoreline and the Washington coast to close off all shellfish gathering.

“Crab harvesting is open along the entire Oregon coast including bays and estuaries,” ODFW said.

ODA continues to test all shellfish along the beaches and bays on a weekly basis, as weather and tides may permit. Both biotoxins may reappear, however, or the region could get lucky and everything will open back up.

“Reopening an area closed for biotoxins requires two consecutive tests with results below the closure limit,” ODFW said.

CLAMMING CLOSURE IN JULY

The Clatsop Beach section of the north coast (Seaside - Warrenton) always undergoes the conservation closure starting in July, to keep clam populations healthy in the area by allowing them to reproduce properly. That closure typically lasts through September 30.

The biotoxin are naturally-occurring in nature and are created by algae that is already in the ocean. Domoic acid has been an increasingly problematic issue along the Oregon coast and Washington coast in the last decade, causing larger and larger shutdowns of clamming and crabbing.

Remember to always call Oregon Department of Agriculture's (ODA) shellfish biotoxin safety hotline at (800) 448-2474, the Food Safety Shellfish Desk at (503) 986-4726, or check the ODA recreational shellfish biotoxin closures webpage before clamming or crabbing.

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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