Oregon
Razor clam harvesting set to close soon on north Oregon Coast
McMinnville man John Nelson rescued in Mount Jefferson Wilderness
Retired McMinnville doctor John Nelson was rescued from the Mount Jefferson Wilderness after going missing, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said.
Beaches from Tillamook Head to the Columbia River will close to razor clam harvesting on July 15.
The closure happens annually on all Clatsop County beaches, an 18-mile stretch of Oregon’s northernmost coast, to allow juvenile razor clams a summer growth window.
The harvest is expected to resume on Oct. 1, “unless there is a closure for toxin levels,” the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife explained.
According to ODFW shellfish biologist Matt Hunter, 90% of Oregon razor clams are harvested along this stretch of coast. The closure, first established in the late 1960s, protects juvenile razor clams that utilize the summer months to feed on phytoplankton – a staple food source.
The closure doesn’t apply to razor clams below Clatsop beaches. Alternative harvesting spots include Agate Beach, Waldport Beach, Whiskey Run Beach and Meyers Creek Beach. Bay clams and muscles will remain open for harvesting.
A shellfish license is required to harvest clams and crab in Oregon. Clammers must have their own container and dig for their own clams. The daily limit is 15 clams, regardless of size or condition.
Before clamming, people should call the Shellfish Biotoxin Hotline at 1-800-448-2474 or check ODFW’s recreation report for biotoxin closures.
Riley Ellis is an outdoor intern at the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at rellis@statesmanjournal.com.