SOUTH BEND - Razor clam enthusiasts get to enjoy the last nine digs of the season after shellfish managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) confirmed Friday that the final round will proceed as planned. The digs get started Friday and run through Saturday, May 7, with a daily limit of 20 clams.
WDFW Coastal Shellfish Manager Dan Ayres said that the spring digs were a "memorable season," and he looks forward to the fall round. Ayres answered questions from the Herald about the factors that contributed to all the record-breaking numbers.
"The primary reason these are record-breaking numbers, is the excellent ocean conditions we've experienced in the near shore areas the last year or so," Ayres told the Herald. "Razor clams do well with cool conditions, and lots of upwelling that bring nutrients from the deep ocean into the nearshore creating lots of feed for the young clams."
"However, also playing into this, is the fact that the 2020-2021 season was mostly closed due to high levels of Domoic Acid," Ayres pointed out. "Those clams held over very well, again because of good ocean conditions. So, we had the perfect storm of good populations naturally producing, and unharvested clams holding over from a season when many otherwise would have been harvested."
Record Numbers
Ayres reported that "a total of 432,380 diggers from Sept. 17 to April 21 (111 digging days) have taken home more than 7.1-million razor clams. During digs on April 16-21 the average was 19.1 clams per person at Long Beach; 19.3 at Twin Harbors; 19.2 at Copalis; and 18.7 at Mocrocks. Razor clams have been quite large averaging 4.3 inches at Long Beach; 4.7 inches at Twin Harbors; 4.8 inches at Copalis; and 4.5 inches at Mocrocks."
"As we enter the homestretch of the 2021-2022 recreational razor clam season, it's quite clear that this will go down as one of the best on record," Ayres said. "Looking to the future, the cooler, productive ocean conditions we are experiencing now may be a good indicator for another great season starting this fall."
Once again, the limit is up to 20 from 15 razor clams per person.
On all open beaches, including Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Mocrocks, and Copalis, the daily limit for all nine days is 20 clams instead of the usual 15. Each digger's clams must be kept in a separate container, and all diggers must keep the first 20 clams they dig, regardless of size or condition. Ayres reminded diggers that a possession limit of shellfish is one daily limit in fresh form, and all other shellfish must be frozen or processed. Razor clams that are simply cleaned are not considered processed. For more information, visit https://www.eregulations.com/washington/fishing/.
Digging is allowed during low tide from 12 a.m. through 11:59 a.m. only (except extended to 1 pm on May 7 only. Here's the schedule:
* Friday, 6:31 am; -0.1 feet; Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Copalis;
* Saturday, 7:10 am; -0.5 feet; Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Mocrocks;
* Sunday, 7:47 am; -0.8 feet; Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Copalis;
* Monday, 8:22 am; -0.8 feet; Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Mocrocks;
* Tuesday, 8:57 am; -0.7 feet; Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Copalis;
* May 4, Wednesday, 9:34 am -0.4 feet; Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Mocrocks;
* May 5, Thursday, 10:13 am; -0.1 feet; Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Copalis;
* May 6, Friday, 10:57 am; +0.2 feet; Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Mocrocks;
* May 7, Saturday, 11:48 AM; +0.5 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis (digging hours extended to 1 pm).
Ayres added that "not all beaches are open for every dig, so diggers are encouraged to make sure their intended destination is open before heading out," noting, "The most successful digging occurs between one and two hours before the listed time of low tide."
The scheduled nine digs are the last of the spring season. Ayres explained why. "We do our best to end the season by the middle of May to avoid conflicts with nesting snowy clovers, small shorebirds that utilize the same area where a razor clam harvest occurs, and May 7 is the last good low tide prior to that mid-May time."
As in past years, WDFW is asking beachgoers to avoid disturbing nesting snowy plovers, which is an endangered shorebird, by staying out of the dunes and posted areas along the southwest Washington coast. Snowy plover nests are nearly invisible, and it is vital to give these birds the space they need to live and thrive during their nesting period, especially along the southern end on Twin Harbors (known as Midway Beach) and the north end of Long Beach. People should avoid leaving leftover food or trash (which attracts predators) on the beach and picnic areas, keep pets on a leash, stay out of dunes, and avoid areas, which are clearly marked with posted signs. Also, when driving on the beach, respect the 25 MPH speed limit and enter only at designated access points. Be sure to stay on the hard-packed sand near the high tide line to avoid crushing clam beds and snowy plover nests.
As far as when the fall dates might start, Ayres responded, "We won't know until we complete our summer long razor clam population assessment starting later in May and ending by the end of August. However, if everything looks good, we will be looking for dates somewhere starting in the middle-to-late portion of September."
In closing Ayres said, "We are grateful for strong razor clam populations and the wonderful support from our enforcement division, and our agency leadership to allow us to increase the limit to 20 clams per person. In my 40-plus-year career, this is the first time we've been able to do this. It's been wonderful to offer folks the opportunity to take home a few more clams, especially given the current higher costs, mostly due to gas prices, just to get to the beach."
Notes: The WDFW will also have a public comment period around the end of August. To learn more about razor clam abundance, population densities at various beaches, and how seasons are set, visit https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfishing-regulations/razor-clams#management...More details on the razor clam season can be found at wdfw.wa.gov/razorclams.