Washington DFW Approves Evening Razor-clam Dig for Feb. 18-19, Starts Planning Morning Digs
OutdoorHub 02.13.12
Olympia, WA– The last evening razor-clam dig of the season will take place Feb. 18-19 on three ocean beaches. After that, clam diggers can look forward to a series of digs on morning tides.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) approved this month’s evening dig at Long Beach, Twin Harbors and Mocrocks beaches after marine toxin tests showed that the clams on those beaches are safe to eat.
No digging will be allowed at any beach before noon.
Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager, said Copalis beach will remain closed for razor-clam digging this month, due to a relatively low abundance of clams. That closure will affect beaches near Ocean Shores, Oyhut, Ocean City and Copalis.
“We want to save some of the clams available for harvest in the Copalis management area for spring digs,” Ayres said. “The other three beaches have enough clams to take us right through the end of the season.”
Kalaloch Beach will also remain closed, due to a low abundance of razor clams. The National Park Service, which manages that beach in cooperation with WDFW, has announced plans to open Kalaloch for a razor-clam dig April 7-9.
For the upcoming dig, the evening low tide Saturday, Feb.18, is at 4:13 p.m. (0.0 feet), and on Sunday, Feb.19, at 5 p.m. (-0.2 feet).
Ayres recommends that diggers hit the beach one to two hours before evening low tide for best results.
Once the harvest is totaled for this month’s dig, WDFW will announce plans for future digs, starting in early March, Ayres said. Because of the change in tides that occurs in spring, those digs will all be held during morning hours.
Under state law, diggers can take 15 razor clams per day, and are required to keep the first 15 they dig. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container.
All diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable 2011-12 fishing license to harvest razor clams on any beach. Licensing options range from a three-day razor clam license to an annual combination fishing license, which can be purchased on WDFW’s website (https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov ) and from license vendors around the state (http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/vendors/ ) .
