January 21, 2014 — A Chinese ban on U.S. shellfish imports has hit Washington state shellfish growers, and so far, there’s no end in sight.
Since a ban was imposed on shellfish imports from the West Coast in December, Washington state has lost $976,000 in revenue, said Matthew Randazzo, senior advisor to the Commissioner of Public Lands.
The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee heard an update on the ban from Randazzo and Jerrod Davis Tuesday. Davis is the Director of the Office of Shellfish and Water Protections within the Department of Health.
The shellfish ban encompasses all of Alaska, Washington and Oregon, while Northern California is also subject to clam, oyster, geoduck and other two-shelled bivalve ban.
Since the Department of Health was alerted of the shellfish ban in early December, Washington state shellfish growers have been missing out on thousands of dollars of revenue. Washington geoducks account for half of the worldwide market.
Read the full story at The News Tribune