Shellfish harvesting closed in Port Madison

Published 9:31 pm Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Shellfish harvesting along the shore of Port Madison Bay has been closed  by the Kitsap Public Health District and the Washington State Department of Health due to high levels of marine biotoxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning.

The closure area includes shorelines from south Point No Point to Point Monroe on Bainbridge Island and west to the Agate Pass Bridge.

The closure covers all shellfish, including all recreational shellfish harvesting of all species of clams, mussels and oysters. Shrimp and crab are not included in the harvesting ban.

Officials said samples of shellfish collected on Monday, Aug. 10 from Miller Bay contained PSP toxin concentrations of 121 micrograms per 100 grams of shellfish tissue. Shorelines are closed to harvesting when PSP toxin levels exceed 80 micrograms per 100 grams of tissue.

Warning signs have been posted at public beaches alerting people not to collect shellfish in the closure area.