Port Townsend, WA. Recent shellfish samples taken from Quilcene Bay contained elevated levels of the marine biotoxin that causes Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP). As a result, the Washington State Department of Health has closed Quilcene Bay and Dabob Bay beaches for recreational shellfish harvest for all shellfish species. Danger signs have been posted at public access […]
Filed under: Olympic Peninsula | Comments Off on Quilcene & Dabob Bays closed for shellfish harvest
Kristina Sinclair gave a presentation to the Protect the Peninsula’s Future’s (PPF) meeting last night. I share her presentation with you with her permission. The questions that this presentation raises are many. What is the limit to these operations on our beaches? How much of the Sound and Hood Canal do we the people of […]
Filed under: Aquaculture, Clallam County, Environmental Activism, environmental education, Environmental Law, Environmental Protection, Jefferson County, Olympic Peninsula, Puget Sound, Straits of Juan de Fuca | Tagged: Army Corps of Engineers, Center for Food Safety, lawsuits | 1 Comment »
Since we are a county with a lot of septic systems, this might be of some interest to some of you. More work needs to be done, especially on homes along shorelines. Keeping shellfish safe to eat will get harder without increasing repair and inspection of septic systems that can contaminate shellfish beds. https://crosscut.com/environment/2021/12/fixing-septic-systems-key-protecting-puget-sound-shellfish
Filed under: Around the Sound, Environmental Protection | 1 Comment »
Scientists have discovered a mystery parasite—what will it mean for the future of Washington’s oysters? Interesting article that features the Jamestown S’Klallam and their efforts to restore Olympia Oysters, and scientists trying to better understand the history of this mysterious parasite.
Filed under: Aquaculture, Around the Salish Sea, Environmental Science | Tagged: Parasites, Shellfish | Comments Off on Trouble on the Half Shell
Back to the battle lines in the courthouse to make the Army Corps. of Engineers live up to the law. They were found guilty of not doing diligence in the last year, and yet they reissued the same permits in the last days of the Trump administration with no changes by sending out “Letters of […]
Filed under: Aquaculture, Around the Sound, Environmental Law, Government, legislation | Tagged: Army Corps of Engineers, CFS, Environmental Protection, Puget Sound | Comments Off on Groups Again Sue Army Corps to Protect Washington’s Coastal Areas and Endangered Species from Industrial Shellfish Operations
Following on a recent post about the effects of the recent heatwave, here’s more economic and enviromental effects. Yes, global warming is costing all of us. Discovery Bay is home to a number of commercial geoduck operations as well as recreational shellfish harvesting. Discovery Bay is closed to shellfish harvesting due to high levels of […]
Filed under: Climate Change, Global Warming, Jefferson County | Comments Off on Biotoxins in shellfish lead to closure at Discovery Bay – Peninsula Daily News
We are just beginning to understand the incredible loss of shellfish from the latest heat wave. The putrid smell of rotting shellfish on some beaches in Puget Sound and elsewhere along the West Coast were a clear sign that large numbers of clams, mussels, oysters and other intertidal creatures were killed from exposure to extreme […]
Filed under: Aquaculture, Around the Salish Sea, Climate Change, Environmental Science, Global Warming | Comments Off on Can biologists estimate the massive loss of shellfish caused by low tides, high temps? PSI
Why continuing scientific research on the Salish Sea is so important to continue funding. In July of 2018 and 2019, large numbers of oysters, cockles and clams died on beaches all around Puget Sound. No one knew why. It was a particularly bad couple of years, but summer mortality events with mass die-offs of shellfish […]
Filed under: Around the Salish Sea, Around the Sound, Environmental Science | Tagged: die-off, Puget Sound, research, Shellfish | Comments Off on Researchers identify shellfish-killing phytoplankton behind massive summer die-offs in Puget Sound -KNKX
Things are getting worse as it relates to ocean acidification. But as the article points out, we are on the leading edge of trying to find a way forward to save our shellfish. This is global warming in your backyard. There is no time to waste. Salish Sea waters are acidifying faster than ever before, […]
Filed under: Around the Salish Sea, Around the Sound, Environmental Science, Global Warming, ocean acidification, Shellfish | Comments Off on Researchers, growers face the challenge of acidic ocean water -Salish Current
The State is working to grant updated operating permits after the fiasco of the Army Corps of Engineers losing a major lawsuit last year under appeal. It will be interesting to see how, since the judge found that the existing permits had not taken long term harm ot the environment into consideration, as to how […]
Filed under: Around the Sound, Environmental Law, Government, Shellfish | Comments Off on Scramble to re-issue permits for area shellfish farms underway following lawsuit -Skagit Valley Herald
This is the most significant court ruling in decades and likely changes everything about shellfish aquaculture in the Salish Sea. It’s importance cannot be overstated. This blog has covered the trial over the last two years. We have been astonished at the brazen lack of science applied and found during discovery of the Army Corp. […]
Filed under: Around the Salish Sea, Environmental Activism, Environmental Law, Environmental Protection | Comments Off on Court of Appeals Backs Environmentalists: Federal Greenlight of Industrial Shellfish Aquaculture Unlawful
More good news. OLYMPIA – Razor clam digging continues in December, as shellfish managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) have approved the next round of digs for Washington’s coastal beaches. The latest tests for marine toxins came back all clear from the Washington Department of Health, which means the first round […]
Filed under: Aquaculture, Around the Salish Sea, Olympic Peninsula, Shellfish | Tagged: razor clams | Comments Off on December’s first razor clam digs moving ahead on Washington coast
The PPF has been spearheading environmental challenges to the most difficult problems we have faced: a nuclear power plant on Miller Peninsula, Northern Tier pipeline that would have gone in right off Protection Island, and more recently, the ever-growing industrial shellfish industry and their often illegally permitted farms, as proven in a court case against […]
Filed under: Environmental Activism, environmental education, Environmental Protection, Events, Olympic Peninsula | Comments Off on EVENT: Join Protect the Peninsula’s Future for its 49th Year Celebration (Virtual)
Al Latham reports: The NOSC spawning survey team witnessed a spectacle this year! After several years of seeing no coho in the upper reach of Chimacum Cr (Lee Miller’s old property), on a single day they counted more than 90! Total sightings for the season was probably over 200. The last few years have had dismal coho returns in Chimacum […]
Filed under: Around the Salish Sea | 1 Comment »
A good look at the state of shellfish bed recovery over the last 10 years, as measured by the Puget Sound Partnership. This is one indicator that seems to be going in a positive direction. Of course, the goal of this is to promote the conversion of public beaches into industrial aquaculture, so it’s a […]
Filed under: Aquaculture, Around the Salish Sea, Environmental Protection, Environmental Science, Shellfish | Comments Off on Winding down Puget Sound’s 2020 targets, as approved shellfish acreage keeps going up – PSI
A very good article on the state of the shellfish industry in our state. Quotes from people here in the area working in the industry. The pandemic tanked the shellfish industry, but growers are “tentatively optimistic” that things are looking up. By Hannah Weinberger
Filed under: Around the Sound, Jefferson County, Jefferson County, Puget Sound, Shellfish | Tagged: jamestown s'klallam tribe, Taylor Shellfish | Comments Off on What the pandemic has done to WA’s flagship shellfish industry – Crosscut
Program: Clamming at Fort Flagler Sunday June 18th @ 10 AM. (Changed from June 4th) Location: Lower Campground – Fort Flagler State Park Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/606796955027 Join the Friends of Fort Flagler to explore and harvest our local clams at the lower campground of Fort Flagler next to the Beachcomber Café. We will identify local shellfish, discuss […]
Filed under: education, environmental education, Events | Leave a Comment »
This is an important article to help one understand the forces at play over this issue. The Army Corp of Engineers current proposal, described in this article, would lead to more destruction of the remaining virgin bays it wants for commercial activities and likely lead to ever more lawsuits. The Corps and the industry are […]
Filed under: Aquaculture, Around the Sound, Environmental Law, Environmental Protection, Puget Sound | Comments Off on Hotly debated national permit for shellfish farms could be passed to Biden Administration – Puget Sound Institute
Michael Adams was a shellfish farmer, scientist, computer programmer, photographer and long-time member and chair of the Jefferson County Marine Resources Committee. He passed away on July 4th after a long struggle with health issues. He is remembered as a man who lived his passions, brought intense research to his discussions and was always a […]
Filed under: People | Tagged: Jefferson MRC, Michael Adams | 2 Comments »
The Coalition to Protect Puget Sound Habitat and the Center for Food Safety won another step in their case to stop a flawed nation-wide permit for the shellfish industry in Washington’s waters. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the shellfish industry’s attempt to stop a lower court decision from taking effect while the Circuit […]
Filed under: Aquaculture, Environmental Activism, Environmental Protection | Tagged: Environmental Protection | Comments Off on Conservation and Food Safety Groups Winning Over Washington’s Shellfish Industry and Army Corps of Engineers
