Congratulations to December’s WINNER of the PCSGA Ecosystem Services Photo Contest and $100, Zach Loescher of Penn Cove Shellfish.
“Getting ready to release a young octopus which rode a mussel line up the harvest conveyor. Octopus like the abundance and variety of food such as shrimp and small crabs which live among the mussel lines. The suspended lines of a mussel raft are similar to a small forest in that they provide a place for many species to call home or to find food or safety.”
Congratulations to the November WINNER of the
Ecosystem Services Photo Contest, Lisa Long Rock Point Oyster Company.
A very large school of young Perch seek food from the crew sorting oysters and refuge from predators under our dock in Tarboo, North Dabob. At times, there were so many you could barely see the bottom under the dock!
Coastal shellfish growers in Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor WA, pitch in where it really counts! During the weekend of September 17-18, these shellfish farmers removed over 10,000 pounds of marine debris from their farms and upland areas! Partnering with the WA CoastSavers community cleanup for the International Coastal Cleanup, PCSGA paid for a half-dozen dumpsters along the south coast using SLURP funds. Jon Schmidt of WA CoastSavers said the donation saved CoastSavers an estimated $2,500 in dumpster rental and disposal costs. This was a great collaboration and joined recognition of coastal responsibly!
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/volunteers-clear-tons-of-trash-from-coastal-strait-beaches/
Since 2001, PCSGA South Puget Sound beach cleanups collect on average 80% marine debris which has nothing to do with shellfish farming. That debris includes chunks of Styrofoam that had broken loose from homeowners’ docks and floats, tires, drainage pipe, and patio furniture. Environmental stewardship is a core value of PCSGA because shellfish farms rely on healthy marine ecosystems for their livelihoods. Without good water quality, shellfish cannot properly grow or be harvested. The beach cleanup reflects that value of environmental stewardship.
PCSGA attends an abundance of outreach events through out the year. Below are a few updates that brought summer to an end and welcomed the Pacific Northwest fall.
Wonderful photos from Allyn Days – Geoduck Festival! Rob Snyder, from Rob’s Shellfish, started the day introducing Derek Kilmer and his daughter to a geoduck. Read More
Congratulations to the winner of the September Ecosystem Services Photo Contest, Scott Smith of Taylor Shellfish Farms. These are natural set Pacific Oysters that spawned from a patch of diploids. Oysters attach themselves to rocks, shells or whatever stationary object they land on. As filter feeders, they play a crucial role in cleaning the body of water they grow in. The more oysters there are, the more filter feeding takes place and the cleaner our water.