36 SEPTEMBER 2019 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG an understanding of ecological linkages that fosters stewardship and husbandry. Participants in Drayton Harbor and Liberty Bay stated that shellfish helps build connection between people, the shoreline and the uniqueness of the area. In Liberty Bay, property owners, in particular, indicated that shellfish restoration efforts give property owners a reason to care, to search out less toxic alternatives, to alter landscaping and home practices. In all focus groups participants also viewed shellfish as providing recreational opportunities of significant value to individuals and families and a high quality and tasty source of food, locally and internationally. “We like eating shellfish.” Participants in Drayton Harbor feel a great sense of pride that their oysters are considered to be the best in the world. Finally, participants in Oakland Harbor and Liberty Bay indicated that shellfish provide an excellent indicator of quality of life and human health. On the other hand, participants from all focus groups alluded to the notion of land-use conflicts. One Liberty Bay participant felt that the existence of shellfish beds leads to land-use conflicts between shoreline property owners and harvesters—suggesting that shellfish harvest in the tidelands can disturb land owners— and this land-use conflict is a result of development, according to one participant in Totten Inlet. Aesthetics of shellfish production were raised in Liberty Bay and Oakland Bay, in one case a direct statement of the negative impacts on aesthetics from harvest and then another alluding to the notion of perspective as to whether harvest negatively or positively impacts viewsheds. Participants in Oakland Bay and Liberty Bay felt that shellfish raised conflict between the “have and have nots” with regards to the opportunity to harvest shellfish recreationally and the concern for beach access denial by tideland property—generally alluding to property rights and equity issues. • Environmental Benefits and Costs. In all focus groups participants asserted that shellfish provide many valuable ecological services. It is perceived that shellfish build habitat for other marine benthic species, remove nitrogen from the ecosystem when harvested, add to biodiversity, support bentho-pelagic coupling, and in general drive efforts to enhance water quality, especially on the part of shellfish growers and the tribes. On the other hand, some participants, especially in Totten Inlet, perceive that there is uncertainty that shellfish actually provide habitat and enhance water quality. In this focus group there were also some who perceived that shellfish production actually negatively affects habitat quality and character, thus impacting other species. In Drayton Harbor and Oakland Bay, participants suggested that large-scale shellfish production can create water quality problems related to dissolved oxygen depletion and introduction of shell material, metals, plastics and other wastes into the environment. Future Visions All focus groups participants voiced the hope for reductions in land-use conflicts related to shellfish production with more widespread community support, enhanced partnerships, broadened perspectives, and closer working relationships between the tribes, local communities, and industry. Generally, the four groups called for plentiful, diverse, clean shellfish for recreational and commercial harvest with a focus on recreational harvest and a diverse array of harvestable species in Liberty Bay and enhancement of native oysters in Totten Inlet. One Totten Inlet participant called for Totten to be viewed as a reserve area for future shellfish harvest. Again, in all focus groups, participants hoped for greater political support from policymakers either for the shellfish industry or in terms of funding for restoration and water quality enhancement programs and generally increased regulatory efficiency and enhanced enforcement of those regulations. Numerous participants voiced the hope for greatly enhanced water quality through zero discharge requirements of boaters, replacement and better maintenance of faulty septic and sewer systems and limited marina expansion. A participant in Oakland Bay would like to see a pollution trade program established. And finally, one participant in Totten Inlet called for technological enhancements to allow for reduced negative impacts on the environment. Only participants in Totten Inlet spoke out directly about the need to limit shellfish aquaculture growth until there is additional scientific information about the effects of shellfish harvest on the environment. The concern is over future expansion of shellfish aquaculture, not what exists today, and the need to preserve natural shoreline for the future scientific research. There is a perception that the costs of pollution control are the responsibility of the polluter, including homeowners, agriculture and other upland industries. There is a general sense that, although some people may be willing to pay to enhance water quality, others will need incentives. Participants in Drayton Harbor, Totten Inlet, and Liberty Bay all stated that the solution to the problem was not in fees or taxes but in education of the public regarding sources of pollutants and elected officials as to how their actions affect water quality enhancement. Tribal Survey An additional survey was conducted in March 2009 at the Suquamish Tribal Center. One-hundred thirty-five of the approximately 1,000 Suquamish tribal members described their perceptions of native oyster recovery efforts in Liberty Bay. The bay is part of the Tribe’s Usual and Accustomed Fishing Ground. Older tribal members have memories of harvesting native oysters in these waters, and the tribe has been an active and willing partner in native oyster rebuilding since 1999. A survey of tribal members was intended to reach beyond tribal staff and tribal (CONT. FROM PAGE 33) All focus groups noted the cultural benefits of oyster production and restoration. In some cases, “cultural” referred to the subsistence farming and ceremonial practices of tribes or even the “life and blood” of a tribe. In other cases, “cultural” implied a more general sense of shellfish being a significant part of Pacific Northwest heritage. Participants felt that shellfish defines the community and is a source of pride. Others viewed shellfish as an icon, something that connects local people to the marine environment and creates a positive national image of Washington State.
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