Oregon Razor News

[STGRule]

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Contact: Anne Pressentin Young (503) 872-5264 x5356
Internet: www.dfw.state.or.us Fax: (503) 872-5700

For Immediate Release Date: December 7, 2001

Razor Clam Season Reopens in Clatsop County

NEWPORT - Razor clam digging on the Clatsop County beaches will be opened effective
December 7, 2001 at 12 pm. Sport and commercial harvest closed in September due to unsafe levels of domoic acid.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife shellfish biologists remind harvesters that there is a low abundance of clams larger than 4 inches available and digging will be moderate.
There is a large set of juvenile clams on the beach, the second noticeable set in two years. The most recent set range from 0.5 to 1.5 inches and last year's set range from 3 to 3.5 inches. Razor clams will grow up to 3.5 inches their first year of life. These juvenile clams are the potential harvest for this next fall and the following spring. The potential for wastage is very high from diggers illegally returning small clams, with a mortality of 80 percent. Harvesters should be reminded that they must retain the first 15 clams dug, regardless of size or condition as per permanent ODFW regulations.

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Anne Pressentin Young
Acting Administrator, Information & Education Division
Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
(503) 872-5264 ext 5356
anne.m.pressentin@state.or.us

[fish_on]

Why not leave the harves of razors closed on those beaches for a couple of years? When we have a good number of large razor clams, open open it like washington does just for a few day each month. Seems like with a full time season the clams never get to mature. Just my $.02 worth.

[BUGLEMAN]

Common sence and ODFW do not go together.