If you are planning to harvest shellfish in Penn Cove anytime soon, you might want to consider finding a new spot, at least temporarily.
Earlier this week, Penn Cove Shellfish submitted a blue mussel to the Washington State Department of Health, which detected a biotoxin that can be potentially lethal to humans and is known as Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning, or PSP, according to a press release from Island County.
As a result, Penn Cove Shellfish and any other commercial harvester won’t harvest blue mussels for at least two weeks, while areas from Blowers Bluff to Snakelum Point remain closed for the recreational harvest of all shellfish, including clams, geoducks, scallops, mussels, oysters, snails and more.
It’s unknown when these areas will reopen, according to Island County Public Health Director Shawn Morris. The west side of the island, according to the press release, has been closed to butter and varnish clams since a PSP bloom occurred in 2021.
According to a press release from Island County, PSP is a naturally occurring biotoxin that is produced by some microscopic algae and that accumulates in the bodies of fish and shellfish.
People might experience a tingling sensation on their tongue and lips within minutes or an hour or two of eating contaminated seafood. The tingling then spreads to the fingers and toes, until the person loses control of their arms and legs and has trouble breathing. Some might experience nausea or a feeling of floating.
If the person has ingested enough toxin, their chest and abdomen muscles will become paralyzed, including the muscles used for breathing, leading to death by suffocation. In some cases, a person can die in less than 30 minutes, according to the press release.
Areas that are safe for recreational harvest of all shellfish include the Saratoga Passage, Holmes Harbor, west Port Susan, Possession Sound and Scatchet Head. Crab and shrimp can still be harvested but they should be cleaned well and people should avoid eating the guts and butter, according to the press release.
Before heading out with a bucket and high hopes, it’s best to check the Department of Health’s Shellfish Safety Map for any updates, available on the department’s website. Island County Public Health will also share updates about shellfish closures at islandcountywa.gov/644/Shellfish-Advisories.
Zane Malloy, the farm manager at Penn Cove Shellfish, said these closures happen every few years and that Penn Cove Shellfish tests the water every few days, especially in the summer due to the higher temperatures that trigger these toxic blooms.
Malloy said initial test results showed a significant biotoxin level increase, but still below the closure threshold of 80 micrograms per 100 grams of substance. To avoid any risks, the business shut down voluntarily and will not harvest any mussels for at least two weeks. Another sample sent a few days later showed a result of 96 micrograms for every 100 grams of the sample.
“We were smart to stop our harvests earlier than we had to,” he said.
In the meantime, the business will continue to take and submit tests to the state Department of Health. Still, even if a sample were to turn out clean tomorrow, that wouldn’t necessarily mean that it’s safe to resume harvesting.
“You have to have a clean water sample for at least a week or two before you can start harvesting again,” Malloy said, adding that it might take longer than two weeks before the business resumes operations.
The mussels hanging on lines underwater won’t be thrown away, he said. Mussels are in fact filter feeders, meaning that, with some time, they will flush the toxins from their bodies and be safe to eat again.
In the press release, Morris said it can take several months or longer until the shellfish is safe to eat again, and closure times can depend on the shellfish species.
