New rules are coming to WA state for clam digging

When I was a kid, one of the things our family used to do when we went to the Olympic Peninsula in the summer was to go clam digging. I was the youngest in the family, so it took me a while to get into it. Honestly, I was never very good at it. 

How do you do it?

It can be one of those ideal family pastimes for Washingtonians. You go to the beach, take your shoes off, grab a clamming shovel or “clam gun”, (Yes, there is such a thing.) and you walk along the wet portion of the beach where the waves wash up, and when it washes back out look for little breathing holes in the sand. (Walk softly, don't stomp around.) 

When you see one of those little breathing holes, make sure you got your bucket ready and start digging straight down. Do it fast or your clam might get away. 

I'm reminiscing about this because some new rules are being put forward for this year from Fish and Wildlife regarding harvesting shellfish in Washington 

According to Seattletimes.com,
‘Rules for harvesting shellfish from Washington public beaches are poised to change.
The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife is proposing to increase the minimum harvest size for cockles from one and half inches to two and a half, decrease the limit of geoducks that can be gathered daily from three to one and modify harvesting seasons for certain beaches.’ 

Why the new rules?

Fish and Wildlife are trying to clarify what species of clams can be harvested and what the maximum amount of those species can be harvested by each individual person. This is important because we don't want them (for lack of a better term), fished out. 

One of the problems is that some shellfish gatherers are misidentifying the species they're digging for, and some are failing to fill in the holes that they dig. (That's just bad manners.)  

Fish and Wildlife solicited public opinions and will soon be releasing the full draft of new rules and regulations. If these new rules go into effect, it will impact the 2026 shellfish harvesting season. The only exception to these rules will be on private tidelands. 

If you've never gone clamming, think of it this way. It's a great experience for you and your family.  

Unless you dig Up A geoduck. I'm sorry, it just looks wrong.