Shellfish and the Environment

Scientific research confirms the broad environmental benefits of shellfish farming, including improved water quality, species diversity, and eelgrass growth. In fact, a single clam can filter 50 gallons of water a day.

Farmed shellfish are not fed artificially; they grow naturally, feeding only on the nutrients available in the water. By the very act of feeding, they filter out nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorous, cleaning and clarifying the water. For example Willapa Bay, the largest producer of farmed shellfish in the nation, is also considered one of its healthiest estuaries.

Shellfish also enrich the tidal habitat in which they grow by providing nourishment for crucial seagrasses on which marine life depend for sustenance and protection from predators. In fact, scientists consistently find higher populations of marine life and shorebirds around shellfish beds.

Because shellfish growers depend on a healthy ecosystem, it is in their best interest to operate their farms in an environmentally responsible manner.