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SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, JULY 18, 2015
OHA issues coastwide advisory for soft-shell clams
Removing skin from clam’s siphon dramatically reduces arsenic levels
The
Oregon
Health
Authority (OHA) has issued a
health advisory for the length
of the Oregon Coast for soft-
shell clams because they con-
tain high levels of naturally
occurring arsenic.
The advisory is most impor-
tant for people who dig their
own clams and target the spe-
cific species Mya arenaria,
since these clams are not com-
mercially available in markets
or restaurants.
The advisory recommends
removing the skin from the
siphon, or “neck,” of soft-shell
clams before eating them. Soft-
shell clams are found primarily
in estuary and intertidal regions
of the Oregon coast.
This advisory stems from
tests the Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality (DEQ)
performed on a variety of shell-
fish species collected along the
Oregon coast as part of its
Water
Quality
Toxics
Monitoring Program.
DEQ’s tests found that when
analyzed whole without the
shell, soft-shell clams con-
tained unusually high levels of
inorganic arsenic.
Most of the arsenic was con-
centrated in the skin covering
the clam’s siphon. Researchers
found that by removing the
skin covering the siphon before
eating, the arsenic can be great-
ly reduced, to levels that are not
harmful.
Arsenic levels varied along
the Oregon coast: Clams on the
north coast had the most
arsenic; clams on the south
coast had the least arsenic;
clams on the central coast were
in between.
Those planning to eat soft-
shell clams with siphon skins
intact should review the OHA’s
recommended meal limits,
which are available at
www.healthoregon.org/fishadv.
The advisory does not
include other species of shell-
fish. In addition to soft-shell
clams, DEQ tested Olympia
oysters (a native species of oys-
ter), California mussels, and
purple varnish clams, and
determined these species are
not of concern.
The tests looked for a wide
range of potential contami-
nants, including other metals
such as cadmium, mercury and
selenium; chlorinated pesti-
cides like DDT and chlordane;
polychlorinated
biphenyls
(PCBs); dioxins and furans;
tributyl tin; and brominated
flame retardants (polybromi-
nated diphenyl ethers, or
PBDEs).
None of these other contam-
inants were present at high
enough concentrations to pose
a public health risk.
Public health officials say
Coastal Gems set next jaunt for Aug. 4
The Yachats Coastal Gems
invites anyone to come walk-
ing Tuesday, Aug. 4, for the
Beverly Beach to Otter Rock
route.
Both 5K and 10K options
are offered. The 5K route is
flat, and the 10K route includes
one steep hill. This walk is not
appropriate for wheelchairs or
strollers
The rating for the 10K route
is 2B for some uneven footing
and the stair climb at Otter
Rock. There will be both paved
and woodland paths through
the state park, and then a walk
along the sandy beach with a
stair climb to Otter Rock
Overlook.
There are great ocean views
at Otter Rock, and a chance to
spot whales.
Walkers will meet at the
Commons in Yachats at 8:55
a.m. to carpool to Newport, or
meet at the Hallmark Inn in
Newport at 9:40 a.m. to regis-
ter for the walk.
The group walks in any
weather, so come prepared. As
always, leashed pets are wel-
come on walks, but bring water
and clean up materials for your
pet.
A sturdy 6-foot leash, not
the retractable type, is
required.
On Wednesday, Aug. 5, the
group will hold its monthly
club meeting in conjunction
with a potluck picnic at Ona
Beach State Park near Seal
Rock. Carpool from Yachats
Commons at 3 p.m., or meet at
Ona Beach at 4 p.m. for a leg-
stretcher walk on the beach.
Dinner will be at 5 p.m., with
the meeting to follow at 6 p.m.
For more information or
directions, call Jean White in
Florence at 541-997-8577.
The club website is at www.
yachatscoastalgems.org.
that since the arsenic contami-
nating the clams is naturally
occurring, the advisory is likely
to be permanent.
By issuing the advisory,
health officials hope to increase
the public’s awareness of shell-
fish species to be avoided,
those to keep eating and
ways to reduce exposure to
known contaminants when pos-
sible.
While it is important for peo-
ple to know about contami-
nants in shellfish, it is equally
important to keep shellfish on
the table. Health officials con-
tinue to encourage everyone to
eat a variety of shellfish as part
of a healthy diet.
OHA officials emphasize the
advisory is about encouraging
people to be cautious about cer-
tain kinds of shellfish, not all
types of shellfish, and to pre-
pare them correctly.
“Because eating shellfish
and other aquatic species can
be an important part of a
healthy diet, we want people to
continue eating shellfish,” said
toxicologist David Farrer,
Ph.D., of OHA’s Public Health
Division. “If they plan to con-
sume soft-shell clams, we just
recommend they remove the
siphon skin before eating
them.”
To learn more online about
why fish is good for you and
get information about fish con-
sumption advisories in Oregon,
visit www.healthoregon.org/
fishadv.
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Central coast all-depth halibut fishing closed
NEWPORT — After fishing
last weekend nearly exhausted
the available spring quota, the
spring all-depth Pacific halibut
fishery on Oregon’s central
coast is closed until Aug. 7.
“Last weekend there was
just enough good weather and
good fishing to push us to
within 1,500 pounds of the
spring all-depth quota,” said
Lynn Mattes, ODFW’s project
leader for halibut. “That’s not
enough quota to open any addi-
tional days this spring, but that
remaining quota will be added
to the summer season that
opens in August.”
The spring all-depth Pacific
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from 1B
terms — hot or not — by fans
and announcers alike.
Danica Patrick, we were
told, spent July 4 in a bikini
and a few days later was seen
cursing out Dale Earnhardt Jr.
for an on-track collision.
His lament was not so much
that his brakes failed and he hit
a driver, as much as it was his
brakes failed and he hit HER,
of all drivers, so now he would
never hear the end of it — just
like an episode of “The
Honeymooners” or any other
show that features a woman
nagging a guy over something.
When
Serena
won
Wimbledon, J.K. Rowling took
to defending her body image.
The top three stories on Google
News the day after were about
“appreciating” Serena, her
body and her dress. Not one
story (and this column is guilty
as charged, too) about 6-4, 6-4,
game, set, match, Williams.
At the same time, a look at
Serena’s own Facebook biog-
raphy describes her as, “an
Athlete, an Icon ... [who]
embodies style, power, beauty
and courage.”
When you go to Roger
Federer’s Facebook page, his
bio states that he is a “A Swiss
professional tennis player.”
It goes on to say that many
pundits consider him to be the
greatest tennis player who ever
lived, which for the Swiss, who
may on occasion cop to mak-
ing pretty decent chocolate and
nice enough timepieces, is
about as large a statement the
halibut fishery for the central
coast subarea (from Cape
Falcon south to Humbug
Mountain) was open 12 days
over four different periods,
resulting in the harvest of
approximately 109,163 pounds
of Pacific halibut.
The summer all-depth fish-
ery will open Aug. 7 with a
quota of approximately 45,000
pounds.
The summer season for the
central coast all-depth fishery
is scheduled to be open every
other Friday and Saturday until
the all-depth quota is taken or
Oct. 31, whichever is earlier.
Fishing for halibut in the
country has ever made outside
of one of their banks.
Nowhere will you read that
he is “handsome.”
And not that there is any-
thing wrong with that, either.
With the exception of maybe
Joe Namath and Andre Agassi,
you’d be hard-pressed to find
many male athletes talking
about looks or fashion in their
player bios anyway.
Danica Patrick, Maria
Sharapova and, yes, Serena,
make no apologies for having
traded a bit on their looks. But
it was on their terms.
Central Coast Subarea is still
allowed seven days per week
inside the 40-fathom line
until the quota is reached or
Oct. 31.
On the north coast (the
Columbia River Subarea; from
Leadbetter Point, Wash., to
Cape Falcon), nearshore hal-
ibut fishing is open seven days
a week until the quota is taken
or Sept. 30.
On the south coast (the
Southern Oregon Subarea;
from Humbug Mountain to the
OR/CA Border) the halibut
fishery is open seven days per
week until the quota is reached
or Oct. 31.
The sexes will never have an
even playing field, and for
another generation at least,
men’s athletics will outdraw
female athletics and earn more
at the gate.
There may never be a truly
“level” playing field in that
regard. But in the meantime,
here’s hoping that the next time
a woman leaves the starting
line, steps up to the plate or
walks out of a tunnel, the adult
sport fans among us will notice
more than what she is wearing
— and instead, what kind of
game she is bringing.
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