TITLE: RED TIDE PROMPTS BAN OF SHELLFISH HARVESTING

COLUMN: SNOHOMISH BRIEFLY

EST. PAGES: 1

DATE: 08/20/97

DOCID: SETL2555745

SOURCE: The Seattle Times; SETL

EDITION: FINAL; SECTION: SNOHOMISH; PAGE: B2

ORIGIN: MUKILTEO

(Copyright 1997)

MUKILTEO - Shellfish harvesting has been banned south of Picnic Point Park southwest of Mukilteo to the King County line because of high levels of deadly red-tide toxin found in butter clams yesterday.

Warning signs will begin going up along the beaches today, according to Rick Miklich, food-program manager for the Snohomish County Health District. The beaches, which were last hit with red tide last summer, likely will be closed for harvesting through the winter, he said.

Miklich stressed that harvesting is still allowed at Picnic Point. "The beds there are fine," he said. "The problem is south of there."

Red-tide contamination is caused by shellfish ingesting large amounts of poison-producing microscopic algae. It can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning in people who eat the tainted clams.

For a daily update, call the state's red-tide hotline at 800-562-5632.