![]() The vast majority of geoduck production is concentrated in the south, between Shelton and Olympia. ![]() Much of the market is in Asia, where an average-sized 2-pound clam can fetch $200. Geoducks are the sound’s biggest cash crop, generating more than $20 million per year for commercial and tribal growers. The study focused on central Puget Sound, from North Kitsap to Tacoma, where geoduck farming is starting to get a foothold. Researchers incorporated five years of studying geoduck farm conditions with a complex model that predicts the impact on the marine food chain over 50 years. Small crabs and some species of forage fish fared better thanks to the protection the farming gear provides, according to the study. Some species might benefit from geoduck farming. “Our study really looks at who eats whom, and how (geoduck farming) can affect these complicated relationships,” McDonald said. Small crustaceans and moon snails also might decrease in farmed areas. Geoduck farming alters habitats, making nearshore areas less inviting for juvenile salmon and flatfish. An increase in geoduck farming could exacerbate the problem. “The substantial decrease of most bird groups in the model is important to note, as these are important ecologically, culturally and socioeconomically,” the study says.Īccording to the Washington Audubon Society, the number of marine birds wintering in the sound has declined significantly over the past 30 years. In fact, increasing the number of filter feeders like geoduck and other shellfish can actually improve water quality.īut the tubes and nets, which often cover acres of tidelands, can shelter certain animals that eagles, herons and other predators depend. Geoducks reach market size after six or seven years.Īdding thousands of plankton-eating geoducks appears to cause no problems to the marine environment. Covered with plastic netting, the tubes protect geoduck from sea stars, crabs and other predators for their first two years of development. ![]() Geoduck farming usually involves planting inch-long geoduck “seed” in rows of plastic tubes embedded in beaches. “The geoducks are eating and being eaten, but they’re not responsible for the changes - it’s the gear used to grow them.” “The impacts are not primarily coming from the geoducks themselves,” said Sean McDonald, a UW fisheries scientist and one of the study’s lead researchers. It indicates that certain species - particularly eagles and seabirds - have a harder time finding food in areas where the large and highly valued clam is under cultivation. That’s one of the key findings of a new geoduck aquaculture study led by the University of Washington. It’s the farming gear - not the farmed geoducks - that’s causing problems for marine animals. ![]()
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