Commercial Shellfish Licensing and Certification

Overview

License types

How do I get a commercial license?

Vibrio restrictions

List of commercial shellfish companies

Forms

HACCP class

For rules and regulations governing commercial shellfish companies, see the sidebar on the right.

Overview

A variety of species are commercially harvested in Washington's Puget Sound and coastal regions.  We license and regulate companies that harvest and sell molluscan shellfish, that is, oysters, clams, mussels, geoduck, and scallops.  

Our goal is to make sure molluscan shellfish offered in markets and restaurants are safe to eat.  To do this, we:

• routinely inspect commercial companies to make sure they meet state and federal sanitation requirements;

• approve commercial harvest only in areas where the water quality does not pose a threat to public health;

• provide training and technical assistance to licensees;

• take action against companies that do not follow safe harvest practices;

• closely monitor biotoxins and vibrio in commercial shellfish;

• investigate illnesses that are caused by eating shellfish, recalling commercial product implicated in an illness; and

• close commercial harvest areas if there's a threat to human health.

License types

There are three main categories of commercial shellfish licenses issued in Washington:  

• Harvesters harvest shellstock (live, unshucked product) and sell only to other licensed Washington state shellfish dealers. 

• Shellstock Shippers grow and harvest shellstock, and buy and sell in or outside Washington. Companies listed as Wholesale Only must have a Shellstock Shipper license.

• Shucker-Packer operations can grow and harvest shellstock, buy and sell in or outside Washington, and shuck product for packing in jars or similar containers. 

Commercial shellfish companies are licensed for a period of one year, and licenses must be renewed annually.  All companies are regularly inspected and must meet stringent state and federal sanitation standards.

How do I get a commercial license?

If you are interested in obtaining a commercial shellfish license, please contact our office at (360) 236-3330.  

List of commercial shellfish companies

View a list of all commercial shellfish companies licensed in Washington State (in pdf format - requires free Acrobat reader). 

Alphabetical by company name (104kb)

Numerical by license number  (104kb)

For companies licensed in other states, see the FDA's list of Interstate Certified Shellfish Shippers.

Forms

Application for Harvest Site Approval.    Licensed shellfish companies that want to add a harvest site to their approved harvest areas must complete and submit this application to our office.  These Word documents are form-enabled.  They can be completed electronically but must be printed and signed.  After signature they can be sent either through regular mail or scanned and attached to an email.  

Non-tribal application for commercial harvest site (.doc 111 kb)

Tribal application for commercial harvest site (.doc, 108 kb)

Tribal application for bait harvest site (.doc 108 kb)

HACCP Class Registration Form
We offer this required HACCP training twice each year for members of the shellfish industry.  The registration fee has been increased to $50 to cover the cost of the HACCP manuals given to each participant.  The next 2-day class is scheduled for February 22 and 23, 2012. 

For more information contact Richard Lillie at 360-236-3313 or email richard.lillie@doh.wa.gov.

Commercial harvest restrictions due to vibrio bacteria

The Department of Health puts restrictions on the commercial harvest of oysters during summer months because of the presence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus bacteria.  The restrictions were placed into rule, Chapter 246-282-006, that became effective in May 2008 and were revised in 2009. 

Questions about vibrio may be directed to Cari Franz-West at 360-236-3326, email cari.franz-west@doh.wa.gov or to Richard Lillie at 360-236-3313, email  richard.lillie@doh.wa.gov.

Norovirus

Norovirus is a highly contagious illness caused by a viral infection, and is commonly referred to as the flu.  This fact sheet includes special precautions that should be taken by commercial shellfish operations to avoid the spread of norovirus.  It also has information about the effectiveness of UV disinfection for killing norovirus.

Regulations:

State:

RCW Chapter 69.30, Sanitary Control of Shellfish

Chapter 246 -282 WAC, Sanitary Control of Shellfish

Federal:

National Shellfish Sanitation Program  2007 Guide for the Control of Molluscan Shellfish
(ISSC web link offers both web and printable format.) 
This document supersedes the 2005 version and is referenced in WAC 246-282.  

Other documents::

Interstate Certified Shellfish Shippers List
This FDA web site lists certified commercial shellfish shippers in the U.S., Canada, Chile, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, and New Zealand.

EH Home DOH Home | Access Washington | Privacy Notice | Disclaimer/Copyright Information Links to external resources are provided as a public service and do not imply endorsement by the Washington State Department of Health. Shellfish Program Office of Shellfish and Water Protection Division of Environmental Health Washington State Department of Health Contact us Send inquiries about DOH and its programs to the Health Consumer Assistance Office. For comments or questions regarding this Web site, please send email to OSWP Web Coordinator.

            Last Update : 01/04/2012 10:05 AM