Clatsop Beaches Closed to Clam Digging
If you’re thinking of going clam digging on any of the Clatsop beaches this next month, think again.
According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Clatsop beaches near Newport, Ore., will be closed to clam digging from July 15 to Sept. 30 to help preserve young razor clams.
The ODFW has been closing the Clatsop beaches since 1967 in order to help young, newly-set clams establish themselves. According to Matthew Hunter, ODFW’s Shellfish and Estuary Project Leader, the Clatsop beach young clams must be protected if Oregon wants a healthy clam population.
“We want to protect the next generation of clams on the Clatsop beaches,” Hunter said in a press release July 13. “These beaches are the most productive razor clam beaches in the state, accounting for more than 90 percent of the total harvest.”
Hunter also said despite the closure, some diggers still show up.
“Usually the first tide series or two after the closure we will see people who don’t understand why there isn’t anyone else harvesting clams,” he said. But ignorance isn’t innocence, he added. “I know OSP (Oregon State Police) has pretty much found they are guaranteed to write tickets for illegal harvest every low-tide series during the closure.”
Luckily for even the most avid clam digging enthusiast, there are still plenty of outdoor activities along the Oregon coast during the summer. Check out the numerous camping or fishing opportunities, or find another Oregon or Washington beach that allows clam digging.
[photo: jkirkhart35]
