Zangle Cove: "People like PVC tubes in straight lines." What people are those?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

May 19, 2019 - A thing of beauty? 

The populating of Zangle Cove with PVC pipes to grow geoduck for China continues. Conversion of the intertidal area into a monolithic population of geoduck contained within PVC tubes, covered by "predator nets", is found more important to this tideland owner than the native habitat it has provided in the past. 

You need new glasses 

if you think 

this will "feed the world".

A belief this operation is going to help "feed the world" is a sad and out of focus view of reality. After these PVC tubes are placed, removed, and after harvesting with hydraulic water jets has completely transformed this marine habitat, these geoduck are airfreighted to China where only the elite are able to afford the expense of this luxury food. A Chinese elite who care little for the transformation this product has brought to Puget Sound's tidelands. A transformation which continues to grow.

Where did all those straight lines go?

Replaced by a moonscape at harvest.

Do people think this looks good too?

The only people who think PVC in straight lines in the intertidal area look good are those few corporations who are profiting from this transformation. A transformation which leaves a moonscape at harvest, to be replaced by another set of PVC tubes set in straight lines. It is not a thing of beauty. And China could care less.

Hong Kong Lifts Ban on Geoduck from British Columbia

The Chinese have lifted the ban on importing of geoduck from British Columbia, put in place December of 2014 after paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin was found in a shipment received. The Center for Food Safety said in a press release the "implementation of enhanced surveillance programs and actions" has satisfied concerns.

This is now the second time Asian authorities have acted on concerns of British Columbia and Washington not inspecting shellfish to their satisfaction. Geoduck from Washington were found to have levels of arsenic above what the Chinese considered safe. The response to "not eat the skin" was unsatisfactory to them, resulting in a prolonged ban of all shellfish from the entire west coast. After additional testing being put in place they agreed to begin importing shellfish, including geoduck, again.

The lesson learned is how dependent growers are on the Chinese. Their first ban of geoduck resulted in numerous press releases from companies such as Taylor Shellfish and Seattle Shellfish about how crippling the ban was to them. Similar press releases from British Columbia were also released when the second ban was put in place.

Currently the political relationship between China and the United States is not positive. China's build up of islands in the South China Sea, if challenged, is something which may result in the Chinese simply saying we no longer need geoduck, timber, or Boeing's jets.