Shellfish Politics: $50,000 paid to Glover Park by Taylor Shellfish and Others to Eliminate Eelgrass Protection

Open Secrets has reported Taylor Shellfish and others have paid $50,000 to the Glover Park Group, a Washington DC lobbying firm. While unconfirmed, at the same time, Washington representatives effectively pleaded with the Corps to drop Condition 7, a regulation which would have provided eelgrass protection in south Puget Sound. The Coalition to Protect Puget Sound Habitat and others have written to Washington representatives and the Corps to ask this decision be reversed. (See Coalition letter by clicking here.)

What was the shellfish industry so concerned about? This:

"For continuing activities in 'fallow' areas, those activities shall not occur within 16 horizontal feet of native eelgrass (Zostera marina).  If eelgrass is present in the vicinity of a fallow acreage proposed for shellfish activities, the eelgrass shall be delineated and a map or sketch prepared and submitted to the Corps.  Surveys to determine presence and location of eelgrass shall be done during times of peak above-ground biomass: June - August.  The following information must be included to scale:  parcel boundaries, eelgrass locations and on-site dimensions, shellfish activity locations and dimensions."

 

Get involved. Caring about clean water means nothing if critical marine habitat is being put at risk by this industry.