Red tide closes shellfish beaches

Toxic bloom reaches Eld, Totten inlets

N.S. NOKKENTVED, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published July 31, 2001

OLYMPIA -- Red tide contamination has closed Thurston County shellfish beaches that have not been closed in the past, including Eld and Totten inlets.

The paralytic shellfish poisoning -- caused by a toxin produced by tiny marine organisms -- also has closed beaches in parts of Mason, Kitsap and Pierce counties, ending the harvest of contaminated shellfish there.

"This is the first time we've had a bloom that closed all of Budd, Eld and Totten inlets," said Frank Cox, paralytic shellfish poisoning expert with the state Department of Health.

The closure will affect recreational shellfish collection as well as local commercial shellfish operations and their cash flow.

"It means you can't harvest," said Robin Downey, executive director of the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association.

The toxin doesn't hurt the shellfish, but it can be deadly to those who eat them. The affected shellfish include clams, oysters, mussels and scallops.

"If you have harvested shellfish from a closed area, the best thing to do is throw them out immediately," said Dr. Judy Dowell, manager of commercial shellfish harvesting for the Department of Health.

The toxin cannot be detected without laboratory testing and is not destroyed by cooking or freezing. Contaminated shellfish don't look or taste any different.

Most shellfish served at local restaurants come from tested beaches. But if people have any questions, they should ask to see the shellfish tag, Downey said.

Scientists aren't sure what drives the algal blooms that produce the toxin or why the blooms seem to be moving farther sound.

Twenty years ago, blooms occurred mostly in the north end of Puget Sound, Cox said. Then they showed up around Whidbey Island and later moved down to King County.

In the 1990s, algal blooms moved below the Tacoma Narrows. And a few years ago, a bloom in November reached Case Inlet, around Hartstine Island, reached the north end of Eld Inlet, Cox said.

This bloom is earlier than the previous ones, and that raises concern about what South Sound can expect the rest of the summer, Cox said.

"Just how toxic this bloom might get, we'll just have to wait and see," he said.

"All we can do is monitor the shellfish and see what they do."

Areas closed

All of Thurston County has been closed to the sport harvest of all species of shellfish.

The closure in Mason County has been extended to include all of Case Inlet, Hartstine and Squaxin islands, and Totten and Skookum inlets.

The closure in Pierce County has been extended to include all of Case and Carr inlets, and Anderson and McNeil islands.

For up-to-date information, call the Department of Health Shellfish Hotline at 1-800-562-5632 or visit www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/sf/ biotoxin.htm.

Poisoning symptoms

A person who eats contaminated shellfish can become ill within minutes.

Symptoms include numbness and tingling of the lips, tongue, fingers and other extremities. High levels can cause difficulty swallowing and may lead to paralysis of the respiratory system and death.

The Department of Health advises anyone who thinks they have eaten contaminated shellfish to seek medical help immediately. Last year, nine people in the state became sick -- five of them required hospitalization -- from eating contaminated shellfish.

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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