The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is proposing rule changes for state recreational clam, mussel and oyster seasons to conserve shellfish populations, address increases in harvest effort and promote sustainable shellfish gathering, according to a recent WDFW news release.
Proposed changes include extending or shortening seasons for some public beaches as part of WDFW’s annual season-setting process; increasing the cockle minimum harvest size from 1 1/2 inches to 2 1/2 inches; and decreasing the geoduck daily limit from three to one.
If adopted, the changes would take effect in the 2026 season.
“Increasing the minimum harvest size for cockles better aligns with this species’ biology, allowing more cockles to reach reproductive age and supporting long-term sustainability,” said Camille Speck, WDFW’s Puget Sound intertidal bivalve manager. “Geoducks are slow to reproduce, and populations can take decades to recover after harvesting. Populations in the intertidal zone are particularly vulnerable, and harvest can have impacts on habitat.”
Proposed rule changes are available at https://tinyurl.com/pyrk4kuw for public review and comment. More information is posted on the 2026 Clam and Oyster Season rule-making webpage at https://tinyurl.com/y6tn65y5.
WDFW will host a virtual public hearing on the proposed rule changes at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24. Register for the meeting through Zoom at https://tinyurl.com/4tyw8afa.
The public can provide comments until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, through WDFW’s Public Engagement Portal at https://tinyurl.com/5aam737h; by email to 2026clamandoystercr102@publicinput.com; by voicemail to 855-925-2801, project code 2788; or by mail to WDFW Rules Coordinator, P.O. Box 43200, Olympia, WA 98504.
Proposed rule changes do not extend to shellfish on private tidelands. Treaty tribes also reserve rights in treaties to harvest shellfish on most tidelands and beaches. More information is available on the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission website at https://tinyurl.com/5ff84hc3.
