The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has attended OysterFest for 20+ years. We participated in the exciting and often hectic Kids’ Day, which kicked off OysterFest the Friday leading into the weekend activities. On Saturdays and Sundays of OysterFest, our staff and volunteers joined our health educators in presenting information and answering questions to thousands of attendees who stopped by our booth over the years.
The mission of the DOH Shellfish Program is to prevent illness in people who eat Washington-grown bivalve molluscan shellfish (shellfish that have hinged shells such as clams, mussels, and oysters). Our goal is ensuring shellfish that make it to the commercial market are safe to eat, and recreational shellfishers have current information about which beaches are safe to harvest.
We regularly test bivalve molluscan shellfish and the water where they grow to make sure the shellfish are safe to eat. We license and inspect commercial shellfish operations to make sure shellfish intended for markets and restaurants are harvested, handled, and shipped in a safe and sanitary manner. When environmental or operational conditions pose a threat to public health, we take action.
For more information, check out our DOH Shellfish Program web pages and phone numbers.
• DOH Shellfish Program: 360-236-3330
https://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/Shellfish
• Biotoxin Hotline: 1-800-562-5632
• Shellfish Safety Map: www.doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety
• Our Recreational Shellfish Program Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WAshellfishsafety/
What was your favorite food(s) at OysterFest ?
Our staff and volunteers have enjoyed a wide variety of foods over the years. These include the delicious freshly shucked raw oysters, the outstanding crabwich, the savory curried mussels, piping hot bowls of clam or geoduck chowder, the unique oyster pizza, the crunchy fried oysters with sweet chili sauce, the standard grilled burger, bags of salty-sweet kettle corn, refreshing ice cream, and whatever else caught their fancy. For me, the shorter lines generally helped my decision making.
What was your favorite band or musician ?
The variety of bands that played in the tent on the midway.
