Shuck It – Workshop Findings on Implementing Shell Recycling in Puget Sound

In 2011, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) started the National Shellfish Initiative to support increases in the populations of coastal bivalves through both restoration and commercial production. Washington State, recognizing the importance of coastal bivalves, has since convened the Washington Shellfish Initiative to improve the state’s shellfish resources by 2020. This initiative is multi-faceted and included the formation of a Blue Ribbon Panel to recommend strategies to mitigate ocean acidification. Specific actions were identified including 6.1.2, which calls for the expanded use of shell to remediate impacts of local acidification on shellfish. To date, efforts focused on implementing action 6.1.2 have not been undertaken. As such, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) held a one-day workshop with representation from pathologists, shellfish aquaculture industry, non-profits, and tribes, with a focus on evaluating the benefits and risk of implementation of a shell recycling program in Puget Sound, that could be used for such actions as 6.1.2. While education and outreach benefits were acknowledged, the greater risk of diseases, identified knowledge gaps, logistics and feasibility, and cost outweighed the benefits identified. This presentation reviews the pros and cons of implementing a shell recycling program in Puget Sound and provides an overview of knowledge gaps and next steps identified from this workshop