High toxin levels shut down shellfish harvesting in Skagit County

June 29, 2022 Updated Wed., June 29, 2022 at 9:02 p.m.

By Skagit Valley Herald

The state Department of Health has closed down recreational shellfish harvesting on beaches in northern Skagit County after a shellfish sample from Samish Bay this week showed dangerous levels of paralytic shellfish toxin.

According to a Skagit County news release, a sample of Samish Bay-West oysters collected Monday had a PSP toxin level of 274 micrograms per 100 grams. Harvest closures occur when levels reach 80 micrograms per 100 grams.

As a result, northern Skagit County beaches, including Samish Bay, Sinclair Island, Cypress Island and Guemes Island are closed to recreational harvesting. of all species of shellfish.

The county’s northern beaches will be closed until further notice. Continued sampling will determine when closures will be lifted or expanded.

On Tuesday, the Department of Health also shut down the commercial harvesting of shellfish in Samish Bay.

Symptoms of PSP can set in within 30 minutes of shellfish consumption and may include numbness and tingling of the lips and tongue; vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain; numbness in arms and legs; muscular paralysis or coordination loss; dizziness and incoherence; headache, rapid pulse, and respiratory distress.

Anyone experiencing those symptoms should seek emergency medical care.

Beach closure information can be found online or by calling the state’s Marine Biotoxin Hotline at 1-800-562-5632.

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