THE OREGON SHELLFISH INITIATIVE:  AN UPDATE AND THE PATH FORWARD

In 2015, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2209, declaring it the policy of the State of Oregon to seek opportunities to expand cultivated shellfish production, conserve and restore wild shellfish populations, and improve water quality and the health of aquatic and marine habitats. This legislation was the result of efforts begun in 2012 in response to NOAA's National Shellfish Initiative. House Bill 2209 established an Oregon Shellfish Task Force comprised of state legislators, representatives of regulatory and management agencies, Native American tribes, port districts, commercial shellfish growers, recreational shellfish harvesters, conservation groups, and Oregon State University research related to shellfish. The Task Force was charged with developing a draft Oregon Shellfish Initiative that sets forth implementation strategies for enhancing shellfish production and conservation in the state. Strategies will emphasize collaboration between growers and harvesters, state and federal agencies and academia, particularly with regard to the impacts of ocean acidification on wild and cultivated shellfish, and the socioeconomic impacts of shellfish production and harvest to coastal communities. House Bill 2209 also contained appropriations for ocean acidification monitoring and oyster broodstock research at Oregon State University as well as a pilot project to increase water quality monitoring in one of Oregon's estuaries where commercial shellfish are produced. The details of the legislation and an update on the work of the Shellfish Task Force will be presented.