Mussel Harvesting Closed Part of South Oregon Coast, Reopens Central Coast

Published 07/25/25 at 8:25 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Coos Bay, Oregon) - Shellfish harvesting has been suspended along a portion of the southern Oregon coast due to unsafe levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), state officials announced Friday. Effective immediately, mussel harvests are closed from Cape Blanco (Port Orford) south to the California border (at Brookings). The closure was issued by the Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

On the central Oregon coast, recent testing showed biotoxin levels had dropped below the safety threshold, allowing mussel harvesting to resume from Tillamook Head to the north jetty of the Siuslaw River. This leaves open areas around Pacific City, Tillamook Bay, Nehalem Bay, Rockaway Beach, Cannon Beach, Lincoln City, Depoe Bay, Newport, Yachats and Florence.

Officials urge anyone planning to harvest shellfish to check the Shellfish Safety Hotline at 1-800-448-2474 or visit the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s recreational shellfish biotoxin webpage for updates.

Current regulations reflect a patchwork of closures and openings along the Oregon coast.

Courtesy Seaside Aquarium

Mussel harvesting is permitted from the Washington border to Cape Blanco, but remains closed south of Cape Blanco.

Bay clam and crab harvesting remain open along the entire coast.

Razor clam harvesting is prohibited from the Washington border to Tillamook Head, open from Tillamook Head to Cape Blanco, and closed again from Cape Blanco to the California border.

The annual conservation closure for razor clams is underway along Clatsop County’s beaches. Harvesting is prohibited from Seaside to the tip of Warrenton until September 30. This seasonal restriction, in place since 1967, helps protect juvenile clams during their peak development period on the 18-mile stretch of beach that produces over 90 percent of Oregon’s razor clams.

Courtesy Seaside Aquarium

The Department of Agriculture conducts biotoxin testing at least twice a month, contingent on tide and weather conditions. Areas closed to harvesting can only reopen after two consecutive tests show toxin levels below the closure threshold.

Recreational harvesters are reminded to contact the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for details on licensing, permits, and shellfish limits. See the department's online resources.

Cape Blanco (OPRD)

The threat of shellfish poisoning became rather alarming here and on the Washington coast in 2024 when 20 people became seriously ill after consuming mussels contaminated with PSP. That outbreak, combined with elevated levels of PSP and domoic acid across coastal waters, led to an unprecedented full-scale shutdown of recreational and some commercial shellfish harvesting across Oregon and parts of Washington.

See What is This Annoying Domoic Acid Stuff? And Why It's Affecting the Oregon / Washington Coast

Domoic acid, a naturally occurring marine toxin, has surged in recent years due to warming ocean conditions. The phenomenon has disrupted Oregon's crabbing industry, shortening harvest seasons and triggering repeated delays over the past half decade.

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