Sport Shellfishing
Fast Facts about Recreational Shellfish Licenses

** UPDATE **

• Regulation information can be found at the Oregon Department of Agriculture site

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A recreational shellfish license is required for all harvesters 14 years or older in accordance with Senate Bill 597.

Q: Who needs a recreational shellfish license?

A: Any person 14 years of age or older who is in the act of harvesting any legal shellfish including, but not limited to, clams, crab, mussels, abalone, piddocks, shrimp or scallops, or anyone in the possession of such shellfish in the field must have a valid recreational shellfish license in their possession. Harvesting crayfish or freshwater clams does not require a license. The take of native oysters is prohibited. Cultured oysters may be taken by permission only.

Q: What does a shellfish license cost?

A: A resident annual recreational shellfish license costs $6.50. A nonresident annual license costs $16.50. A nonresident three-day license costs $9.

Q. Why does Oregon have a new recreational shellfish license?

A: Citizens initiated and backed the passage of the new license in the 2003 Legislative Session due to concerns regarding lack of enforcement, minimal toxicity testing, beach closures, shellfish wastage, lack of public education, lack of information on shellfish population status and abundance, and lack of current data to address impacts due to shellfish habitat loss/alteration.

Q. How much does the recreational shellfish license cost?

A: The fee for an annual resident license is $6.50. The fee for an annual non-resident license is $16.50, and the fee for a three-day non-resident license will be $9.00. These prices include a $1.50 agent fee for every license issued. All revenue collected from the recreational shellfish license will be dedicated to shellfish-related programs operated by the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon State Police and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Q: Where can I buy a recreational shellfish license?

A: Recreational shellfish licenses can be purchased at any Point-of-Sale license agent that sells angling or hunting licenses. In addition, participating marinas and charter offices will have the three-day non-resident license and the annual resident license available. Marinas and charter offices will buy booklets of these two types of shellfish licenses for resale to customers.

Q: Will I be able to take shellfish with my SportPac license?

A: No. The bill enacted by the 2003 Oregon Legislature to create the Shellfish License did not include the taking of shellfish under the annual combination SportPac license. The shellfish license is separate and in addition to all other licenses.

Q: What is the penalty for harvesting shellfish without a recreational shellfish license?

A: Local courts determine fines. The standard bail for not having a valid license is $75.

Q. What activities require a recreational shellfish license?

A: Similar to a fishing license, any activity that constitutes “shellfish fishing or harvesting” activities will require licensing. The license does not change the current regulatory requirements for legally harvesting shellfish.

Examples include, but are not limited to: dropping or pulling crab pots, rings or other gear designed to catch crab; checking or baiting gear; sorting crab; digging for shellfish on a beach with hands, shovels and other clam harvesting gear; taking or possession of marine shellfish (as defined above); and participating directly in the act of recreational harvest. Enforcement officers will interpret “anyone taking or attempting to take” shellfish to include other activities consistent with assisting or participating in recreational shellfish harvesting.

Q: When is a recreational shellfish license NOT required?

A: You do not need a recreational shellfish license if:

• You are younger than 14 years old.
• You are operating a boat or are on a beach, boat or dock, and do not touch or participate in any way in the baiting or setting of gear, sorting of shellfish, harvesting of shellfish, or taking the shellfish with you.
• You are a client on a charter boat, and you do not participate in the harvest or possession of shellfish.
  NOTE: If shellfish are caught legally by one individual, and he/she desires to give the shellfish to someone else who did not legally catch it, a receipt of transfer must be in your possession. (A transfer form can be found in the Oregon sport fishing regulations) Recreationally harvested shellfish cannot be sold.
  

Q: How will the agencies work together to use the shellfish funds, and will marinas and ports participate?

A: The Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon State Police, and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife already rely upon one another for managing the fisheries. The Oregon Department of Agriculture depends upon the Oregon State Police to enforce toxin closures, and upon the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to collect many of the samples needed for the toxin testing. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife depends upon the Oregon State Police to enforce the rules and regulations necessary to ensure a sustainable resource.

Shellfish programs have been severely cut back in the past decade due to state funding reductions. The funds raised by the sale of shellfish licenses will allow a baseline program in each agency to recoup information and resource management programs lost in the past. The agencies will expand cooperative public outreach efforts through partnerships with marinas and ports with joint news releases, cooperative pamphlets about proper shellfish handling and harvesting techniques, beach closure notices, and updated brochures regarding Oregon’s many opportunities to harvest shellfish. In addition, the state agencies will work with charter boats, marinas and ports to develop and enhance public education on marine shellfish.

Q: Will this recreational shellfish license affect the commercial harvest of shellfish?

A: The number of commercial clam diggers reflects the market conditions and the abundance of clams available. When there are large numbers of clams present there is an increase in commercial diggers, but there also is an increase in recreational catch and effort. Historically, the catch has averaged 85 percent recreational and 15 percent commercial.

Q: What will be the initial impact of the license requirement to the coastal and recreational economy?

A: It’s too soon to know what the economic impact will be of requiring shellfish licenses. It will be difficult to compare any economic data collected because there has not been a comprehensive economic analysis done of the coastal communities regarding the shellfish fisheries in more than two decades. When the state of Washington implemented its shellfish license, it did not experience a drop-off in users. Some people may choose to not participate in the fishery because of the new recreational shellfish license. However, citizen support for the recreational shellfish license has been strong.

Q: If management programs rely upon the shellfish license sales revenue, what will happen to those programs in years of no harvest due to toxin closures of beaches?

A: The recreational shellfish license is not solely dependent upon any one fishery. The razor clam population seems to be the most affected by the toxins because razor clams tend to retain the toxins for long periods of time. The 2002 Clatsop Beach recreational fishery achieved record highs in harvest and effort, and the south coast fishery was the best it has been in recent years. It is estimated that there were a combined 175,000 digger trips. In comparison, the estimated number of bay crab and clam user trips was more than 800,000. Even if the razor clam season were closed for a long period of time, there still would be revenue generated from the recreational shellfish license to support base programs.

 

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