Recreational shellfish harvesting is now closed for all species in Budd Inlet due to high levels of a biotoxin, Thurston County announced Wednesday, Nov. 4.
High levels of the biotoxin that produces diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) were detected in shellfish at unsafe levels, prompting the closure.
Warning signs will be posted at public beaches at Burfoot County Park, according to a Thurston County news release.
Biotoxins are produced by naturally occurring plankton, which can become concentrated in shellfish.
Biotoxins do not harm shellfish but can cause illness or death in humans and other mammals that eat them.
Cooking does not destroy the toxin and does not make the shellfish safe to eat.
Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning causes nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
Harvesters should always check the shellfish safety map found online at www.doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/shellfish/recreational-shellfish or by calling 1-800-562-5632 for a recorded hotline of biotoxin closures.
For more information on shellfish safety, visit Thurston County Public Health and Social Service’s Shellfish Protection District’s website at https://tinyurl.com/34upxmre.
