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.