Shellfish harvest areas around Puget Sound close due to biotoxins

WA shellfish harvest areas close due to biotoxins

Washington State Fish and Wildlife officials have closed several shellfish harvest areas due to high levels of biotoxins found in samples.

Washington State Fish and Wildlife officials have closed several shellfish harvest areas around Puget Sound due to high levels of biotoxins found in samples.

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) provided a map showing areas that were closed due to pollution.

(Photo by David L Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

The closure includes harvesting of mussels, scallops and oysters.

Harvesting beaches are currently closed from Tulalip Bay all the way south toward Commencement Bay near Tacoma.

Several other areas in Washington closed due to pollution are:

Gig Harbor
Quartermaster Harbor
Budd Inlet
Sinclair Inlet
Dyes Inlet
Liberty Bay
Port Ludlow
Grays Harbor

To see if your shellfish harvesting area is closed off due to high levels of biotoxins, visit the DOH's Shellfish Safety Information map.

Other areas like Kitsap County, Skagit and Snohomish Counties are closed to harvesting butter and varnish clams only.

The DOH is advising the public to be aware that all shellfish recreationally harvested between May through September should be cooked thoroughly to avoid illness caused by Vibrio bacteria.