Razor clam digging delayed until March due to small clams

SEASIDE, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Department of Agriculture is delaying the razor clam harvest on an 18-mile stretch of beach between Seaside and the mouth of the Columbia River.

The agency said Friday the harvest would open March 1.

Razor clamming typically reopens on Oct. 1 each year.

But fishery managers had already delayed the reopening of the season after a stock assessment revealed large numbers of clams just 2 to 3 inches wide.

That's too small for commercial harvest and not big enough for recreational clammers.