What's a Grower in Willapa Bay To Do?

Stop Spraying and Put Some Effort Into Your Jobs

Taylor Shellfish and other growers are now claiming economic crisis in Willapa Bay because they will not be able to spray the neurotoxin imidacloprid onto their tideflats to kill burrowing shrimp. They claim not being able to do so leaves oysters to sink into quicksand and smother. Apparently they are unaware of what other growers are doing to grow oysters off of the sediments - including Taylor Shellfish. 

Business is never easy. As they say, if it were, everyone would be doing it. If you can't grow oysters in Willapa Bay without spraying pesticides and herbicides to kill off everything, maybe you shouldn't be in the oyster business. Because spraying in Willapa Bay will kill off the oyster business.

Hamma Hamma in Hood Canal

(from Seattle Times)

Rack Culture from California

Korea

Long Line - Taylor Shellfish (yes, Taylor Shellfish)

Western Oyster Floating Rafts - Burley Lagoon

Long Line - Brady's Oysters, Grays Harbor

Assembly At DOE May 4, 12 Noon

[Update 5/4: KING 5 TV will broadcast a story on the assembly and meeting with the Director of Ecology tonight. Time is unknown.]

Martin Way E and Desmond Dr E

DOE's canceling the permit to apply the neurotoxin imidacloprid onto Washington's tidelands, a permit approved at the request the shellfish industry, is a small step in the direction DOE should be moving. May 4 at 12 noon an assembly at the intersection of Desmond Dr SE and Martin Way E in front of DOE's office will be held by those who believe the shellfish industry hold too much influence over decisions this agency makes.

You can help show that Washington's marine habitat areas are not the sole domain of the shellfish industry by attending.

Information is found here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1442211019412790/

An alternative gathering will be held at the Sea School cooperative in Long Beach. Information is found here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/420760631430925/

You may also help in the ongoing resistance to the transformation of Puget Sound's tideland habitat areas by supporting The Coalition to Protect Puget Sound Habitat, an organization who has spent immense funds and time in standing up to this industry.

Get involved and stay involved. The shellfish industry is and they are flush with money and motivated.

Shellfish Growers Withdraw Request to Spray Imidacloprid - How about the rest now?

The Department of Ecology has announced that due to economic pressures the shellfish growers in Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor have withdrawn their request to spray the pesticide imidacloprid.

 “We believe we have no choice but to withdraw our permit and address these issues to the satisfaction of our customer base, and the public,” said Don Gillies, president of the WGHOGA, in the letter requesting withdrawal of the permit.

As a result, the permit has been canceled. The question now remains - what about the permit to spray Carbaryl and the permit to spray imazamox? Are you a little bit pregnant?

Get involved and stay involved. Help protect Washington's critical marine habitat by supporting The Coalition to Protect Puget Sound Habitat who has been taking a stand to ensure it will be enjoyed by our future generations.

Taylor Shellfish Bows to Economics but Does Not Stop Support of Spraying Imazamox or Plasticizing Puget Sound

A 5th Generation Family Corporation is Just that - 

A Corporation

"It's not your grandfather's oyster farm."

Some is good - more is better?

Plasticizing Puget Sound tidelands

Is it really good news or just good public relations?

Reacting to economic pressures, the Seattle PI writes that Taylor Shellfish has announced it will not spray imidcacloprid on tidelands owned in Willapa Bay. Other growers have not. DOE has not rescinded the permit. Taylor Shellfish has not announced they will not spray the herbicide imazamox on their Willapa Bay tidelands, currently slated for application on over 3,000 acres (see public notice below). Taylor Shellfish has not announced they will stop using PVC pipes (40,000+/acre) in Puget Sound to grow geoduck for China in.

Public Notice for the application of imazamox

on over 3,000 acres of Willapa Bay, dated March 11

Only part of what goes on in Willapa Bay you don't know about

Willapa Bay growers Coast Seafoods, Heckes Clams, Herrold Fish and Oyster, Long Island Oyster, Northern Oyster, Station House Oyster, Wiegardt and Sons, and Willapa Bay Shellfish have been silent. As they and Taylor Shellfish have been for all the years which carbaryl was being applied on Willapa Bay's shellfish beds. And glyphosate and imazapyr.

Governor Inslee and Bill Dewey,

Taylor Shellfish's internal lobbyist

Get involved - the shellfish industry is and the story behind it is a good one

There is a reason Washington's Office of the Attorney General office has called Willapa Bay a "chemical soup." There is a reason shellfish growers do not want you to know. There is a reason the politics behind this approval and approval of the herbicide imazamox is a far better story to write about. 

Get involved and stay involved.

Sign a petition addressing these larger issues the Coalition to Protect Puget Sound Habitat has released.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/…/governor-inslee-stop-enab…/

Taylor Shellfish Owner Claims Neurotoxins on Tidelands are Safe; Bayer Disagrees; Chefs are Horrified (Seattle Times, 5/1)

[Update 5/1: DOE has issued a response, claiming labels matter. They have shown a label of the "approved" product. That label  shows an imidacloprid concentration of 21%. The label referenced below, from Bayer, which includes the "Environmental Hazards" warning, has a concentration of .5% imidacloprid. Are we to feel more comfortable that an Australian firm has approved a product with a 21% concentration of imidacloprid when Bayer would not approve a product with .5%? ]

From Ecology's website - newer and safer?

"Chefs ‘horrified’ by plan to spray pesticide on oyster beds"

Seattle Times, May 1, 2015

Taylor Shellfish owner Bill Taylor is noted in today's Seattle Times as maintaining the neurotoxin imidacloprid is "safe." Bayer, the chemical company who created the pesticide, feels differently. Especially when it comes to applying it to tidelands and water, as seen in their "Hazards" label. In fact, when asked by shellfish growers, they refused to change their label, driving the growers to a more "understanding" Australian firm who had little problem approving its use in Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor. Seattle Chefs are horrified by the proposal to spray a pesticide onto tidelands and waters where Washington shellfish are grown. They should be, as should anyone who consumes shellfish grown in Washington's waters.

Warning Label from Bayer on Imidacloprid

(if hard to read, click to enlarge)

(see complete label here)

Mr. Taylor, however, misses the larger point underlying the beehive of concerns stirred up by this proposal. Taylor Shellfish has become a large corporation who believes Washington's tidelands are theirs to convert to shellfish production, using any means they see fit, with any structures they see fit, operating at any hour of the day or night they see fit. Imidacloprid is not the only thing chefs should be horrified about. Herbicides are sprayed regularly in Willapa Bay, the newest being imazamox. 

Scoters Feeding on Mussels/Barnacles on PVC Pipe

used for geoduck grown for China.

Plastics the shellfish industry is placing into Washington's marine environment escape from their "nets" on a regular basis. Barnacles and mussels which grow on this temporary "structure" are fed on by diving birds. When those organisms are torn off of the PVC, parts of that PVC come with it and are ingested by those diving birds.

Puget Sound: $1.5 million to grow kelp on 3 acres

and monitor acidification. (Huffington Post)

Willapa Bay: Spray herbicide on 3,000 acres.

Washington's marine ecosystem is having millions of tax payer dollars, and millions of donor dollars, spent to improve its health. Those dollars are not being spent so Taylor Shellfish and other growers can then turn around and spray pesticides and herbicides, place tons of plastics into it, and use helicopters to flush migrating birds out of the way so they won't get sprayed by chemicals (the latter being a form of "mitigation"). Chefs - and anyone eating shellfish from Washington's marine waters - should be horrified. 

Hubris can be blinding, especially when it leads to reliance on lobbyists, public relations firms and contract scientists making decisions for you.

Gathering at Department of Ecology Planned for Monday, May 4, at 12 Noon

When: May 4, 12 noon
Where: 5500 Martin Way E, Lacey
Why: To show support for NOT spraying this neurotoxin - imidacloprid - on Willapa Bay's tidelands.

Two groups have announced a coordinated effort to gather in front of the Department of Ecology to demonstrate their resistance to the proposed spraying of imidacloprid, one of the neonicotinoid pesticides, on Willapa Bay shellfish beds and elsewhere. Information can be found at 2 Facebook "Event" sites, posted below:

https://www.facebook.com/events/420760631430925/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1442211019412790/

The Coalition To Protect Puget Sound Habitat is a strong supporter of these two combined events. You can help show your support for their ongoing efforts to help protect Washington's marine environment by attending the May 4 event or donating to this group.

(Note: Protect Our Shoreline has left the Facebook "event planning" to those above, choosing instead to continue to provide information on a variety of topics.)

Petition to Ban Imidacloprid On Change.org

Sign the petition to stop the application of the pesticide imidacloprid on change.org.

Link is here:
https://www.change.org/p/washington-state-dept-of-ecology-deny-the-permit-requested-by-the-oyster-industry-to-apply-the-pesticide-imidacloprid-to-grays-harbor-and-willapa-estuaries

Plan Ahead: Lowest Daylight Minus Tides in May Are Coming - PVC Tubes and Nets Have to be Out

Can PVC tubes and netting planted during 2013's

-4.0 tides be removed during a -2.7 low tide?

Get your cameras and find out.

 

Did geoduck growers plan ahead? Find out if they can meet their permit requirements for tube/netting removal after 2 years.

Some of the lowest daylight minus tides of the year will occur this month, reaching a low of -2.7 at 1:20PM on May 19. Only July 3's -2.9 will be lower. Geoduck farmers will be in a rush trying to remove tubes and netting planted in 2013 during lows of -4.0, a level which won't be reached for years. Will they be able to remove all tubes/nets placed that deep?

 



Click on image to enlarge

(click here for other months)

Seattle Times 4/28: "Disbelief over state plan to spray neurotoxin into oyster beds"

What could go wrong?

The Seattle Times writes on the Department of Ecology's approval to spray Willapa Bay's shellfish beds with the neurotoxin imidacloprid, and as Bloomberg News did, they also ask: "What could go wrong?"

The state has approved plans to spray in Willapa Bay a neurotoxic pesticide that has a warning right on the bottle: “Do not apply directly to water.” What could go wrong? (Seattle Times, 4/28, updated 4/29)

What could go wrong? Consider:

Causing the Willapa Bay shellfish industry irreparable harm after people decide they would rather not consume oysters and clams filtering pesticides and herbicides out of the waters of Willapa Bay.

People realizing this industry, driven by east coast lobbying firms, is becoming little more than a creation of the Glover Park Group ("Own the Conversation"), parroting lines created in Washington DC and New York, perhaps even suggesting to Taylor Shellfish it's better to now have young Diani Taylor be the spokeswoman instead of elder father Bill Taylor (Who's going to pick on a young woman?). ("It's not your grandfather's oyster farm.")

Maybe, during low tides, when PVC pipes and nets suddenly appear, people may finally accept the reality that this industry has become caught up in its own hubris, believing anything they do to increase shellfish production from Washington's critical marine habitat is fine and no state agency will question it.

What to do - Permit Appeal:

The permit approval may be appealed. You can encourage The Coalition to Protect Puget Sound Habitat or The Exerces Society to appeal. More importantly, you can contribute to the Coalition who for years now has resisted the shellfish industry's attempts to expand into Puget Sound and Willapa Bay.

What to do - Politics: Get Involved
Find your elected official and tell them you do not support this decision. You can also tell your political party to stop taking donations from the shellfish industry.  It will make a difference.

You can find your elected officials here: http://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/
Governor Inslee: 360 902-4111 or, email at - https://fortress.wa.gov/es/governor/

Ocean Acidification: A New Canary in the Coal Mine and It's a Native Species

Pteropods (aka a "butterfly") 

Native and far more 

important to the food web

than non-native shellfish.

$1.5 million absorbed to study 3 acres of kelp - results in 2019
The Paul Allen Family Foundation announced a $1.5 million grant has been awarded to look into whether cultivation of kelp will meaningfully lessen the impact of CO2 on carbonate ions (aka Ocean Acidification) in Puget Sound's marine environment. This drop in carbonate ions results in the inability of pteropods and other native species of Puget Sound  requiring calcification to develop fully. The funds will be spent cultivating kelp in a 3 acre area in north Hood Canal. There, sensors measuring a variety of parameters, including acidity, will be deployed to try and determine the before and after effect of the 3 acre farm.

The flap of a butterfly's wing

can cause big things to happen.

Photo by Astrid Van Ginneken, Center for Whale Research

Pteropod's signficance
In August of 2014, a paper by NOAA's Shallin Busch and others was published which showed the pteropods native to Puget Sound were found to be unable to develop shells in an environment of depleted carbonate ions. The significance of the pteropods to the food chain was explained in a recent Huffington Post article, noting:

No larger than a grain of sand, the latter snail-like creature is a staple in the diet of marine animals, including sea birds and salmon, around the world. Off the Pacific Northwest coast, about half of sea butterflies carry partially dissolved shells, deformed fins and other impacts of ocean acidification that affect their ability to swim and avoid predators and infections. Researchers project that three-quarters will be affected by 2050. A 10 percent drop in sea butterfly numbers translates into about a 20 percent drop in the body weight of mature salmon.

Is a big sponge soaking up

a diminishing resource 

what we need?

Fewer carbonate ions should not be allocated to a non-native species
What is the significance of current aquaculture in Puget Sound as it relates to its impact on the ability of pteropods to fully develop? What will be the impact of hoped for expansion? Nobody knows. Little thought has been given to what the growing cumulative impacts on Puget Sound's native species will be. The millions of non-native oysters grown and harvested require carbonate ions in order for their shells to develop. Equivalent to a large sponge soaking up the carbonate ions, the effect which industrial aquaculture will have on native species in need of the same carbonate ions has not been considered in any of the permitting actions. As seen in the amount of money allocated for a 3 acre site, it is perceived as a significant problem and the real "canary in the coal mine" is beginning to choke.

"...laboratory studies indicate that ocean acidification has negative effects on survival, calcification, growth, and reproduction; these effects are larger for calcifying species than for non-calcifiers. Differential response of marine species to ocean acidification has the potential to change the structure of marine communities, as has been observed in natural experiments, modeling exercises, and Earth’s history." from Shell Condition and Survival of Puget Sound Pteropods Are Impaired by Ocean Acidification Conditions, Shallin Busch et al, 2014