RULES & REGULATIONS
FOR RECREATIONAL SHELLFISHING

Marine Biotoxin (Red Tide) Hotline - 1-800-562-5632
www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/sf/biotoxin.htm

The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife determines shellfish seasons, opens and closes beaches and issues licenses to individuals to harvest shellfish.  Please see their website, and 2002 regulations.

• Check the Red Tide Hotline every time you plan to harvest shellfish.
• A license is required and must be displayed on the outside of clothing.  Most sporting stores have licenses available for purchase.
• Clams must be dug by hand or hand-operated fork, pick or shoves.
• Each digger must use a separate container for the shellfish.  Digging equipment may be shared.
• Never attempt to extract a clam by its neck.  The neck will break off leaving the clam to die.
• All oysters must be shucked on the beach, and the shells left at the same tidal height as the oysters were found.
• Backfill all holes!  Backfilling will reduce clam mortality and injury to other diggers and wildlife.
• Avoid digging in eelgrass beds.  This will disturb the growth of juvenile clams, crabs, salmon fry, herring and many others.
• Know the harvesting limit of the species you are gathering.  Every species has a different per person harvest limit.

Visit the Washington State University website for more information about harvesting shellfish.

See the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife website for shellfishing rules and beach regulations.

Contact Environmental Health with questions or comments about the information on this page.