Vibrio Shuts Down Portions of South Puget Sound to Commercial

Update 7/22: Cooler weather has resulted in test results with lower Vibrio levels, leading DOH to open most areas of south Puget Sound to the commercial harvest of oysters. Recreational harvesters are able to check the Department of Health's website for information.

Update 7/13: North Bay in south Puget Sound has been added to the list of growing areas closed to the commercial harvest of oysters due to elevated levels of vibrio parahaemolyticus.

Puget Sound Water Temperatures Rise

Bacterium Levels Increase

Commercial Harvesting of Oysters Stopped

Hammersley Inlet, Totten Inlet, Skookum Inlet, Pickering Passage, Portions of Hood Canal - Closed

As expected, the warm weather has resulted in the naturally occurring bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus increasing to levels which have resulted in the Department of Health shutting a large portion of southeast Puget Sound to commercial harvesting of oysters. For a complete list of growing areas closed and the reasons, such as biotoxins and normal summer closures, click here (not included are the most recent closures of Totten Inlet and Hammersley Inlet).

For recreational closures and information, an interactive map is available from the Department of Health's website.