A new report from NOAA looks at the economic impact of a long lasting algae bloom off the coast of Washington. The potential cost? How does $22 million a year sound to you?
Razor Clams. Photo from NOAA.
The report looks at what would happen if a particularly bad bloom of the Pseudo-nitzschia alga were to force a year long shutdown of razor clam digging. This is a very popular type of recreation along the SW Washington coast, drawing as many as 30,000 people a day during peak clamming season.
Should those tourists stop coming, NOAA says reduced lodging, transportation, and dining sales would take a $22 million dollar chunk out of coastal economies.
Short term closures of recreational shellfish harvesting due to algae blooms are fairly common. But massive closures aren’t all that unusual either. NOAA says the most recent ones in Washington happened during 2002-2003 and 1998-1999.
This year in Oregon, the clamming harvest was closed for about three weeks this fall. Mussel harvesting was closed several times this year and remains closed along the Southern Oregon Coast.
Microscopic image of Pseudo-nitzschia. Photo From NOAA
The Pseudo-nitzschia produces domoic acid, which builds up in shellfish such as razor clams, crabs and some fish. When levels get too high, people who eat the shellfish can be sickened with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. In severe cases it can lead to respiratory difficulty, seizures, coma, and even death.
Other types of blooms can produce what’s called paralytic shellfish toxins. The symptoms usually start with a tingling in the mouth or tongue. Really bad cases cause dizziness, numbness and tingling in the arms and legs, paralysis of the arms and legs, and paralysis of the muscles used for breathing.
For more information see:
Oregon Department of Agriculture Shellfish Safety Closures
