How about some clam chowder tonight?
Curious about clams? Do you notice shellfish harvesters out on the tide flats along the east side of the Semiahmoo Spit? It’s allowed, and you can do it, too! First, you need a shellfish license, and then you just need to learn the harvesting rules and soon you will be chowing down on chowder! Here’s all the information you need to know for shellfish harvesting on Semiahmoo Spit. Take special note of the possibility of harvesting closures. Just in case you need a recipe—there’s one at the end of the article for you.
Know Your Zone
This public tidelands area is named Drayton West and is located within Marine Area 7 North.
Drayton West is the spit area on the marina side of the spit—not the County Park side of the spit, which is always closed. Drayton West is open year-round (except for health closures) for clams and oysters from the public parking area by the new condos, back South to the mainland. The beach to the north is Semiahmoo Marina and is closed for harvest year-round. According to the fish and wildlife website, Drayton West is a good beach for Manila Clams, native littleneck clams, and butter clams. Cockles and varnish clams are also found here and there are probably some horse clams. Most of the clam harvest occurs near the north end of Drayton West.
Please obey DOH warning signs and stay well to the south of the north boundary of Drayton West. That area is in a Marina zone and is closed year-round for clams, oysters, and mussels.
Here is a link to the map of the area: https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/beaches/graphics/b200104_harvest_map.jpg
Buy A License and Carry It
There are many locations where you can walk in and purchase a shellfish license. A location that is close to Semiahmoo Marina is Pacific Building Center: http://pacificbuilding.com/ Or, just click here and get set-up on-line: https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/#/login
If you are only trying it out, or on vacation, it is possible to buy a 1, 2, or 3-day pass. Other licenses are sold for the entire season. Combo fish and shellfish licenses can save you money if you plan to buy a fishing license, too. There are discounts for disabled, veterans, and seniors (70+.) Non-resident licenses are considerably higher than resident licenses. If this is your first license, you will receive a free Discover Pass, which is normally $35.00. The Discover Pass allows you to park in state parks.
When you obtain your license, you can pick up or download a booklet with all the rules you must follow for various types of shellfish. For example, oysters must be shucked on the beach and shells left where you found them. Size matters and there are daily limits. Be sure to adhere to the rules so our shellfish populations stay strong and healthy. If we are good stewards, we will be able to return year after year—and enjoy our steamers and chowder every year.
Use Caution
Check here for Shellfish Safety and Department of Health contact information. For example, at the beginning of May, biotoxin activity was detected in Drayton Harbor in the weekly mussel samples. They showed elevated levels of PSP biotoxin in Drayton Harbor, and this often happens this time of year. As a result, recreational shellfish harvest was closed from Birch Point north to the Canadian border. Then, as of May 31st, Drayton Harbor only was reopened to the recreational harvest of molluscan shellfish. This upgrade will affect the Drayton West beach – the only public beach that is normally open to shellfish harvest. All other beaches from the Canadian border south to Sandy Point, including Point Roberts will remain closed. These changes and closures can last any length of time, so always check the website or call the Shellfish Safety Hotline at (800) 562-5632. on the day you plan to harvest. Postings on the beach may not be up-to-date.
Follow the Rules
Clams can be dug by hand or with a hand-operated fork, pick, rake, or shovel. Each digger must use a separate container, but digging equipment may be shared. Clam holes must be refilled. To reduce clam mortality, please push any undersized clams into the refilled hole. See all the shellfish statewide rules here: https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/statewide_rules.html
Read the rules for seasons, size, and bag limits. Current harvesting season information can always be found by using the clickable map on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/beaches.
Prepare and Cook Your Harvest
Every kind of Clam chowder recipe you have heard of can be found on the All Recipes website, such as New England Clam Chowder: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/13041/my-best-clam-chowder/
Basically, any creamy potato soup recipe will work great for clam chowder. The secret is to start with a really great stock and make a flavorful soup. This YouTube video has instruction to make a real quality broth, and has a surprising ingredient that makes it special:
Then just make sure the clams are cleaned of all sand—nobody wants to crunch on their soup! Also, when you steam the clams don’t use any that don’t open on their own—these could be unhealthy to eat.
Tips to remove sand from clams, and steam to perfection
- Simply soak the clams in cold salt water (about 3% salt,) lift the clams out, and change the water a few times—until you stop seeing sand in the bottom of the bucket.
- While lifting out the clams, keep an eye out for clams that don’t close and remove those dead ones.
- Some people add cornmeal–like the Chef in this video on You Tube:<https://youtu.be/fHHsem23EAo/li>
- It is important to use sea salt without iodine, say some–claiming iodine kills the clams
- Not sure how to steam your clams? There’s a You Tube video for that, too:<https://youtu.be/ekXyoUX-yrY/li>
Lastly, enjoy your chowder served in bread bowls to impress friends or family–or just get a spoon and dip away!