Fish & Wildlife cancels weekend clam digs on Washington coast

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife has reconsidered allowing clam digs on the Washington Coast this weekend, and has canceled them.

WDFW issued this statement late Thursday:

“WDFW has halted a previously scheduled razor clam dig that was to begin ... Friday, March 20, in response to an order today by the Pacific County Health Officer advising the closure of beaches to razor clam digging.

“State shellfish managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) had approved a dig after vetting it with county officials and health departments in Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties, and after consultation with state health officials.”

The canceled digs include:

• March 20, Friday 5:27 pm, 0.4 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
• March 21, Saturday, 6:07 pm, 0.4 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
• March 22, Sunday, 6:41 pm, 0.4 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
• March 23, Monday, 7:12 pm, 0.5 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis

“WDFW is responsive to the needs of local communities, and we manage razor clams in consultation with our coastal communities to ensure sustainable harvest,” Larry Phillips, WDFW’s coastal region director, said in the news release. “But, under these circumstances, we need to include more than sustainable harvest in our decision making and do what is the best for the community. We understand that the county health department is responding to a global pandemic and WDFW is canceling these digs to support that work and keep folks healthy.

“Typically, we would want to provide much more notice before canceling a razor clam dig,” Phillips said.

Because some of the beaches open to razor clam digging fall within multiple counties, WDFW chose to close all open beaches to razor clam digging in order to provide consistency, added Phillips.