Oregon Public Broadcasting

Part of the Oregon coast has been reopened for harvesting razor clams. It was closed because of shellfish toxin levels.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture and the state Fish and Wildlife Department say the area from Tillamook Head south to Cascade Head is safe from the toxins now.

Bruce Pokarney  is a spokesman for the Agriculture Department. He says the toxins occur naturally.

Bruce Pokarney: "These are toxins that coincide with algae blooms out in the ocean. Ocean conditions will dictate whether those blooms take place and how severe they are. We normally have a couple of different marine toxins that we look for and monitor for, domoic acid being one of them."

Pokarney says recreational clam harvesters are used to the closings.

The areas from Bandon to Cascade Head and from Tillamook Head to the Columbia River remain closed to clamming.