Contacts: Bob Woolrich, Office of Food Safety and Shellfish, 360-236-3329

Tim Church, Communications Office, 360-236-4077

Geoduck harvesting, closed after oil spill, to reopen near Indianola

Tests show geoducks are safe to eat; other harvesting remains closed

OLYMPIA ¾ Recent tests on geoducks near Indianola show the shellfish are safe to eat. That is why the state Department of Health announced today that it is reopening the offshore geoduck harvesting area in Kitsap County.

The geoduck tracts have been closed since late December 2003 because of public health concerns due to the Point Wells oil spill north of Seattle. An estimated 4,800 gallons of oil went into Puget Sound when a refueling barge overflowed.

“Our first responsibility is to protect the public’s health so we proceed very cautiously,” said Bob Woolrich of the Department of Health. “We believe it’s unlikely these offshore geoducks were exposed to the oil spilled at Point Wells. Our tests show they are safe to eat.”

The geoducks in this area are harvested by divers because the tracts involved are more than 200 yards offshore and in water 18 feet deep or more. With the new test results, commercial harvests may resume in the very near future.

The beach, however, remains closed to clam harvesting. Tests in January and February showed signs of contamination in manila clams and cockles found on the beach. Active cleanup is complete on most of the beach areas and work continues along one stretch of beach just east of the Doe-kag-wats marsh. When that cleanup is done, the state Departments of Health and Ecology will work with the Suquamish Tribe and other parties involved to coordinate sampling of the shellfish and sediments.

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