Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans Releases its Draft Geoduck Management Plan

Canadian Geoduck Aquaculture

Poised for Large Expansion

24 Puget Sounds?

This bubble is not different.

It will pop.

 

Stages in a Bubble

Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue

From Forbes on Bitcoin

Geoduck production to expand in Canada
Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has released its draft geoduck management plan, the first step to opening up vast areas of tidelands for the harvest and cultivation of geoduck. The area of tidelands being made available for production from British Columbia will cause that in Puget Sound to pale in comparison and bring with it a significant increase in the supply of geoduck available to the market. Based on maps available it appears an area close to 24 south Puget Sounds may be put into production.

The Strait of Georgia



Tideland expansion moves beyond the Strait of Georgia
Prior to 2006 the area which DFO allowed geoduck cultivation in was limited to the Strait of Georgia. DFO has announced it will now consider opening up the entire Pacific coastline to cultivation and harvesting. It notes in the plan:

The Department will consider both new and amendment applications for geoduck aquaculture in all areas of the Pacific coast.

Area of proposed expansion with

Puget Sound circled at the bottom.

 

It's not all available, just a great deal of it

For detailed maps of areas being considered for applications you can click here. There you will find 24 separate maps which show how immense the area being considered is. To gain perspective on how large an area DFO is opening, the image below shows one of 24 maps, in this case the area of Flores Island, spanning a linear length of ~36 miles. Very roughly, over 200 miles of shoreline will be made available. The lower right image shows the same 36 mile distance in Puget Sound, reaching from Olympia north to Poverty Bay, just north of Tacoma.

 

Map of Area 24 North: Flores Island Area

~140 miles of shoreline

 

The general process

In some cases subtidal areas will be allowed to have an initial harvest of the wild geoduck. After that harvest, the approved applicant will be allowed to replant the area harvested. When that "crop" is mature, after a minimum of 7 years, any remaining wild geoduck may be harvested along with those planted. While not clear, it is assumed replanting will be required after the harvest. Included in the plan are guidelines on geoduck which may be used as "broodstock", in general limiting them to wild geoduck from the area being planted. "Seed" from Washington and Alaska will not be permitted.

 

Public comments on the plan accepted until April 19, 2014

The public will be allowed to comment on the proposed plan until April 19. Comments should be sent to: Shellfish.Aquaculture@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

 

The geoduck bubble is not different - it will deflate

Claims that "this time it's different" and that tideland owners in Puget Sound will "get rich" from leasing their tidelands should be reminded that all bubbles are the same. Some people will get rich, but many more will become poor. None are "different." Simply look to an article from Forbes written in December on Bitcoin. Or read "Stages in a Bubble" to understand better the realities of what is occurring.