It's Taylor Shellfish's Turn: Tell Us Why a 30 Acre Geoduck Farm is Good for the Dungeness Bay

Special Note: Meeting location is changed to Guy Cole Convention Center, 202 N. Blake Ave., Feb 11 at 2 p.m. in order to accommodate the expected crowd. (read article in Sequim Gazette here)

 

The river's restored, wetlands are functioning,

the outflow of fresh water is clean. Hear why PVC pipes

in the tidelands are a good idea.

 

 

Now it's Taylor's turn

On February 11 Taylor Shellfish has their opportunity to explain why a 30 acre geoduck farm in Dungeness Bay is a good idea. This follows a standing room only presentation earlier by citizens and scientists who feel it is not a good idea. (read article about earlier meeting here - note that the meeting location mentioned was changed to the above)

 

Good for the economy, good for jobs, good for Taylor.

Good for Dungeness Bay?

 

 

A million dollars spent for a million PVC tubes

Topics they will try to discuss include why it's a good idea to spend multiple millions of dollars to restore the habitat of lower Dungeness River, and then fill the tidelands with >40,000 PVC pipes/acre on the proposed 30 acre farm.

 

$7 million to restore wetlands and floodplains

so tidelands may be populated with PVC pipes.

(click here to read article on "funding boost")

 

"Impacts are local and short term" - unless you have a farm with sections in "rotation" such that harvesting may occur all the time.

Why it's a good idea to place a geoduck farm next to tidelands acquired by WDFW, considered to be part of a "...significant habitat area for a wide diversity of wildlife, fish populations, including marine mammals, seabirds, migratory shorebirds, migratory and breeding waterfowl, neotropical migrants, salmon, shellfish and Dungeness crab." (From WDFW 'SOUTH PUGET SOUND & NORTH OLYMPIC WILDLIFE AREAS 2014 MANAGEMENT PLAN UPDATE' page 3)

 

WDFW recently acquired tidelands

adjacent to Taylor's proposed farm.

 

Comment on this one.

Hear why it's a good idea for the Army Corps to spend tax payer dollars on re-establishing old river channels and flood plains in order to help establish habitat critical for salmon, only to have the salmon's transition zone where fresh and salt water mix be clouded with sediments during harvest.

 

Army Corps' preferred alternative.

(click here to comment on restoration plan)

 

Is any of that habitat supporting wildlife Taylor Shellfish considers a pest?

Hear whether Taylor Shellfish will consider any of the wildlife supported by the habitat being restored or which now exists are on their list of "pests." (Some ask what native wildlife in Puget Sound don't they consider a pest.) The Dungeness crab noted in the WDFW document above, and almost everything else noted, are on the list. [Note: To read the shellfish industry's guide to what it considers pests and a hindrance to their profits, click here.]

 

Are these restored areas supporting any pests

Taylor Shellfish doesn't like?

 

 

Hear the best paid experts talk about why aquaculture is a preferred use, which logically means any way to grow shellfish is ok.

The public is invited and is encouraged to attend. Presentations by Taylor Shellfish and their "experts" are always well orchestrated and meaningful. It may even be possible Taylor Shellfish will be offering free oysters to those in attendance. Be early to guarantee a seat and bring your cameras to record the event.