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Shellfish logo used by permission, courtesy of the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association (PCSGA).
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'The sea, washing the equator and the poles, offers its perilous aid, and the power and empire that follow it. . . . "Beware of me," it says, "but if you can hold me, I am the key to all the lands."' - Ralph Waldo Emerson Shellfish of Whatcom CountyShellfish are
an important resource. In 1999, almost 44 million pounds of shellfish,
valued at $79 million, were harvested commercially from Washington
waters. The term shellfish encompasses a broad group of organisms
including oysters, clams, crabs, shrimp and mussels. There are numerous shellfish in the Puget Sound waters. Here is just a partial listing of some of the shellfish that can be found in Whatcom County's coastal waters:
For more information on the shellfish in our waters, check out the Marine Fact Sheets or check out the shellfish harvesting rules so you know what you can harvest and when and where it is legal to harvest. Many areas around Washington state, as well as around the country, have been closed to the harvesting of shellfish due to declines in water quality over the shellfish beds. Check out the info on shellfish areas that are approved for shellfish harvesting [Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) or Washington State Department of Health (WDOH)], so you know you are harvesting from a clean area. Pollution is a big threat to the shellfish beds. When areas are closed to shellfish harvesting, due to declines in water quality, Washington counties have the authority to create Shellfish Protection Districts to address the issues related to the classification downgrade. Whatcom County currently has two areas that are closed to shellfish harvesting: Drayton Harbor and Portage Bay. "We must plant the sea and herd its animals … using the sea as farmers instead of hunters. That is what civilization is all about-farming replacing hunting." - Jacques Cousteau
WSU Whatcom County Extension |
