Washington health officials have slammed the brakes on shellfish harvesting in Drayton Harbor after multiple people got sick from eating raw oysters. An emergency recall now covers oysters sold at the Drayton Harbor Oyster Company and a limited batch at the Bellingham Dockside Market, and restaurants and retailers have been told to pull the shellfish from shelves and menus. The illnesses line up with a norovirus-type infection, and officials are urging anyone who ate the affected shellfish and is feeling rough to call a health care provider.
Emergency closure and recall
On March 5 the Washington State Department of Health, via Whatcom County, ordered an emergency closure of recreational and commercial shellfish harvest in Drayton Harbor after illnesses were linked to raw oysters harvested on Feb. 13 and Feb. 20. The county release says DOH recalled oysters and clams sold at the Drayton Harbor Oyster Company between Feb. 13–23 and a single sale at the Bellingham Dockside Market on Feb. 21. “We appreciate the strong cooperation from Drayton Harbor Oyster Company throughout this process,” Tom Kunesh, food safety program supervisor, said in the release.
Federal alert and distribution
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a safety alert on March 9 advising restaurants, retailers and consumers not to serve or eat certain raw oysters and Manila clams from Drayton Harbor because they may be contaminated with norovirus. The FDA's notice lists harvest dates of Feb. 13 through March 3, 2026, identifies the harvesters as Drayton Harbor Oyster Company (WA-1723-SS) and the Lummi Indian Business Council (WA-0098-SS), and says the clams were distributed to restaurants and retailers in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New York, Oregon and Washington. The alert tells operators to dispose of affected shellstock, clean and sanitize contact surfaces, and to watch for updates as the investigation continues, and the FDA provided contact information for reporting adverse events.
Symptoms, reporting and safe handling
Symptoms tied to the illnesses, including vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and stomach cramps, are consistent with norovirus and typically appear 12 to 48 hours after exposure, according to the CDC. Health agencies advise people who ate the recalled shellfish and are ill to contact their health care provider and report suspected foodborne illness to local public-health authorities. Whatcom County also reminded consumers that cooking molluscan shellfish to 145°F reduces risk and encouraged harvesters and restaurants to check the state's shellfish-closure map before collecting or selling product.
Why Drayton Harbor matters
Drayton Harbor has a long history of water-quality challenges and restoration efforts, and local reporting shows commercial shellfish acreage has fluctuated as officials have worked to control pollution and biotoxins. Coverage that has tracked that history and regional outlets have followed those changes. County officials say the harbor's oyster farms have cooperated with the investigation and that the Drayton Harbor Oyster Company will not serve any product from the harbor during the closure. The department anticipates reopening commercial and recreational harvest on or about March 24, pending the outcome of testing and the investigation, according to the Whatcom County release.
For more information see the FDA safety alert and the Washington Shellfish Safety Map at DOH Shellfish Closures for updates and reporting contacts. If you still have the affected shellstock, throw it away and clean any containers, and retail and foodservice operators have been instructed to remove inventory and sanitize equipment.
