Bill Dewey, Public Affairs Manager of the Taylor Shellfish Company, talking to KUOW's Deborah Wang.

Clam Wars

Deborah Wang
09/25/2008

Geoducks are a native Northwest species, and are plentiful in Puget Sound. The huge clams may not be a staple of local diets, but Asians pay top dollar for them. In China, geoducks are steamed or sauteed, in Japan they are made into sashimi. Local shellfish companies are rushing to expand geoduck production to take advantage of the Asian market. But homeowners along the coast are trying to stop them. They argue that geoduck aquaculture is both unsightly and ecologically damaging. Shellfish companies respond that geoducks don't hurt the environment, they actually help by filtering water. So who is right? The dispute has become so heated that teams of scientists are now embarking on a multi–year study to put the issue to rest.