PORT TOWNSEND — Port Ludlow and Mats Mats Bay beaches have been closed for recreational shellfish harvesting due to high paralytic shellfish poison levels in shellfish samples sent to the state Department of Health.
Beaches in Clallam County from Cape Flattery to the Jefferson County line also are closed for all species, including clams, geoducks, oysters, mussels and other invertebrate species such as moon snail.
Port Townsend beaches from North Beach to North Point Hudson are closed to butter and varnish clams.
Paralytic shellfish poison is a biotoxin released by the marine plankton Alexandrium. Shellfish eat this plankton and the biotoxin can accumulate in their meat.
Symptoms of paralytic shellfish poisoning, which can appear within minutes or hours, include tingling of the lips, tongue, hands and feet, followed by difficulty breathing and paralysis.
Paralytic shellfish poisoning can be fatal. People experiencing these symptoms after consuming shellfish should call 911. The heat-stable toxin is not destroyed by cooking or freezing.
Butter and varnish clams retain the toxin for up to a year, which is why they often remain closed longer than other species.
Crab meat does not retain the biotoxin, but it can be present in crab guts and butter, the white-yellow fat inside the back of the shell, so they should be thoroughly cleaned, and the crab butter and guts should be discarded.
For more information, call the Biotoxin Hotline at 1-800-562-5632 or visit www.doh.wa.gov/shellfish safety.htm.
