Shellfish Farming is Part of Pacific Coast History

When the first crates of shellfish were shipped from the Pacific Coast, James Buchanan was president, Abraham Lincoln was still practicing law in Illinois, Charles Darwin was about to publish his historic study on evolution, and there were 32 states in the Union.

Enjoyed for 1,000 years by Native Americans, commercial shellfish farming became a booming business in the mid-1800's, driven by demand from California gold mining camps.

Many of the tidelands on which shellfish farming occurs have been in commercial production for 150 years. In Washington State, many of those tidelands were sold by the state specifically for commercial shellfish culture under the Bush and Callow Acts of 1895. By law, Bush and Callow tidelands are designated for commercial shellfish culture.

Although shellfish farming currently contributes more than $110 million a year to the region's economy, most shellfish farms are small family businesses that operate on just a few acres of tidelands.