Mussel Harvesting on Part of S. Oregon Coast Nixed Due to Biotoxin

Published 08/28/2026 at 9:55 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Port Orford, Oregon) – Domoic acid is back on the Oregon coast.

Mussel harvesting has been shut down from Cape Blanco south to the California border after new tests showed domoic acid levels above the state’s safety limit. The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) made the announcement Friday.

State officials urge anyone planning a trip to the coast to check conditions before harvesting. The Shellfish Safety Hotline at 1-800-448-2474 and ODA’s Recreational Shellfish Biotoxin Closures webpage carry the latest updates.

Harvest status along the Oregon coast currently includes:

Razor clams:
CLOSED from the Washington border to Tillamook Head beginning July 15 for the annual conservation closure.
OPEN from Tillamook Head to Cape Blanco.
CLOSED from Cape Blanco to the California border.

Photo Seaside Aquarium

Mussels:
CLOSED from Cape Blanco south to the California border.
OPEN north of Cape Blanco to the Washington border.

Bay clams:
OPEN all over the Oregon coast.

Crabs:
OPEN coastwide.

ODA conducts toxin testing at least twice a month as tides and weather allow. Any closed area must show two consecutive clean tests before reopening.

Domoic acid, a naturally occurring toxin, has become more common as warming ocean conditions fuel harmful algal blooms. Oregon’s crabbing industry has endured repeated disruptions over the past six years, with shortened seasons and delayed openings.

In 2024, elevated biotoxin levels prompted the most extensive shellfish closure on record. Twenty people became ill after eating mussels contaminated with Paralytic Shellfish Toxin, leading to a coastwide shutdown of recreational harvesting in Oregon and closures in several Washington commercial bays.

For more information, call ODA’s shellfish biotoxin hotline at 800-448-2474, the ODA Food Safety Program at 503-986-4720, or visit the ODA Recreational Shellfish Biotoxin Closures webpage. Contact ODFW for details on recreational licenses, permits, and harvest regulations.

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