SHELLFISHING -- Fewer razor clams will be available for harvest this season on the Washington Coast beaches, according to Washington Fish and Wildlife Department pre-season surveys.

The decline, said state coastal shellfish manager Dan Ayres, is due to the natural cycle of razor clam populations.

“We’ll have a little less digging this season,” Ayres said. “But we’ll probably save as much as we can for spring dates. People like that, the conditions are better and the clams are bigger.”

Information about current razor-clam stocks, marine toxins and digging options is available on the state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s shellfishing website.