Washington proposes tighter rules on harvesting shellfish, including geoducks

Kai Uyehara, The Seattle Times on Mar 4, 2026

Published in Outdoors

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SEATTLE — 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.

Fish and Wildlife recently asked for the public’s input.

Social media posts and word-of-mouth have resulted in high turnout at certain beaches, the department’s spokesperson, Bridget Mire, said. The department said the high turnout led to beach closures in some cases.

Shellfish gatherers have been misidentifying species, exceeding daily limits and not refilling holes, which is required and helps prevent habitat damage that can kill clams, Mire said. People have also been parking illegally along busy roadways.

The rule changes are meant to conserve shellfish populations and address increased harvesting activity, as well as ensure harvesters are doing things the right way, the agency said in a news release.

If approved, increasing the minimum cockle harvest size stands to be the most impactful rule change, Mire said.

Upping the minimum harvest size for cockles allows more of them to reach reproductive age and supports long-term sustainability, Fish and Wildlife’s Puget Sound intertidal bivalve manager, Camille Speck, said in the news release.

As for limiting the daily harvesting limit for geoducks, Speck said, the species is “slow to reproduce,” sometimes taking decades for the population to recover after harvesting.

Some beaches detailed in the proposed changes would have their harvest season dates adjusted by months, while others would be closed year-round.

Shellfish gatherers should visit less-popular public beaches to spread out harvest pressure, Mire said. Open public beaches can be found on Fish and Wildlife’s webpage, along with harvesting information.

Public comment was available until Feb. 24 via Fish and Wildlife’s public engagement portal, by email to the rules coordinator or by voicemail.

If adopted, the rule changes, which would not be extended to shellfish on private tidelands, would go into effect during the 2026 harvesting season.

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