Washington Shellfish Week

Washingtonians make hundreds of thousands of trips each year to harvest razor clams on the coast and clams and oysters throughout Puget Sound. Tribal communities have harvested shellfish for generations, feeding their communities with healthy protein from Puget Sound and coastal shores where many continue to make a living and practice a way of life. The shellfish industry is a foundation of Western Washington’s rural economy and an important part of our state’s heritage. Washington leads the nation in farmed shellfish production with approximately 10,500 metric tons of oysters, clams and mussels in 2013, which generated approximately $184 million in total economic contribution, of which almost $92 million was direct revenue from the industry; state commercial shellfisheries generate another $100 million in revenue. Washington shellfish growers also directly employed more than 1,900 employees and created more than 810 indirect and induced jobs across the state. Our shellfish are sought by consumers around the world and are a well-deserved source of pride for local growers. Shellfish are also a key part of our marine ecosystems, providing habitat and helping filter and cleanse water. For all of these reasons, shellfish are an extraordinary resource for Washington state to exclaim.

Join the Pacific Shellfish Growers Association in celebrating all things shellfish during Washington Shellfish Week from April 15 – April 21, 2018. Events are scheduled throughout the week and are open to the public. Activities include: Interpretive Trail Grand Opening with Capitol Land Trust, Bay Mercantile, Chelsea Farms, and Taylor Shellfish; WA Sea Grant’s Shellfish Trail; Hama Hama Oyster Rama; Long Beach Razor Clam Festival; Shellfish Dining Specials at Anthony’s Restaurants and Pickled Fish; beach-walks and workshops with Harbor WildWatch; shellfish exhibit at the Puget Sound Estuarium.