Parts of South Oregon Coast Reopen to Razor Clamming - But Not Much

Published 08/05/23 at 6:41 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Gold Beach, Oregon) – Heading south and want to get your clam on? You're in luck. Razor clamming on some parts of the southern Oregon coast has reopened after a long closure due to the marine biotoxin domoic acid. You can once again grab the tasty little critter from just north of Port Orford (at Cape Blanco) down to the California border. That includes Port Orford, Gold Beach and Brookings. (Photo Seaside Aquarium)

However, razor clamming is closed in all other areas of the Oregon coast except for a small area that includes Seal Rock, Yachats and the region just north of Florence along with its northern beaches. The marine toxin has still tested at unsafe levels between the south jetty of Florence down to Cape Blanco (which includes Reedsport, Coos Bay and Bandon), as well as Seal Rock through Cannon Beach.

Seaside to the Washington border, meanwhile, is closed until September 30 to conserve its high numbers of razor clams.

“Crab, mussel and bay clam harvesting remain open along the entire Oregon coast,” said Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW).

Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) is continuing its testing of shellfish for the toxin approximately every two weeks, as weather and tides permit. In order to reopen an area, the biotoxin levels must be below the closure mark for at least two consecutive weeks.

ODA and ODFW made the announcement this week.

You'll want to check with ODFW for recreational license requirements, permits, rules and limits. For more information call Oregon Department of Agriculture's (ODA) shellfish biotoxin safety hotline at (800) 448-2474, the Food Safety Division at (503) 986-4720, or visit the ODA recreational shellfish biotoxin closures webpage.

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Above courtesy Seaside Aquarium

Near Gold Beach, courtesy Oregon Department of Forestry

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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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