Vashon-Area Shellfish Hunting Banned After High Levels of Toxins Identified

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Authorities have banned shellfish harvesting in the waterway between Vashon and Maury Island after authorities found high levels of biotoxins in shellfish.

The Washington state Department of Health and the Public Health division of Seattle and King County posted caution signs at the beaches surrounding the Quartermaster Harbor warning Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) had been found. PSP can be fatal if ingested and can be found in popular edibles such as clams, geoducks, scallops, mussels, and oysters. All of them are off the table, health officials said.

PSP symptoms can begin immediately or take hours to develop, but usually begins with lip, tongue, finger, and toe tingling and can advance to loss of limb control, difficulty breathing, nausea and a sense of floating. Eventually PSP can induce muscle paralysis and death, sometimes within 30 minutes,  according to DOH.



An interactive map showing closure zones is available online.