tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post7251531175611966378..comments2024-03-29T08:29:55.105-07:00Comments on Cliff Mass Weather Blog: Oysters and Pesticides: The Washington State Department of Ecology StumblesCliff Mass Weather Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13948649423540350788noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-37772077709267465692015-08-10T08:02:20.964-07:002015-08-10T08:02:20.964-07:00Plants and animals move as physical and chemical p...Plants and animals move as physical and chemical parameters change. Most species have been invasive at some place and time. Being invasive, alone, is not necessarily a bad thing. Japanese eelgrass provides ecological benefits in the upper intertidal zone. I am not aware that it is, ecologically, anything but beneficial to species other than shellfood.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18237320847633277363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-39138053583486197812015-05-02T22:34:32.801-07:002015-05-02T22:34:32.801-07:00Definitely not that simple. Several different kind...Definitely not that simple. Several different kinds of grass are in the bay, some native, some not, but control of it via chemicals was and is the wrong route, just as it was and is for the shrimp.bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17985206198452301055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-64405348239295355002015-05-01T23:27:41.391-07:002015-05-01T23:27:41.391-07:00Doesn't it seem like a total lack of imaginati...Doesn't it seem like a total lack of imagination to be going to so much trouble to kill off a native protein source without first exploring all the options for maybe finding a viable market for it? The shrimp seem to be thriving down there, and they are native. Why not find a market for them (even as a substitute for the forage fish currently being taken from our oceans to support fish farms) and have another industry and more jobs for this State?Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12235018874001895714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-79167184917417609992015-05-01T20:13:14.967-07:002015-05-01T20:13:14.967-07:00Another reason to not eat oysters. Another reason to not eat oysters. Kenna Wickmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02802821050975830973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-48624122632371995442015-05-01T14:21:14.232-07:002015-05-01T14:21:14.232-07:00Very informative article on an important issue. Th...Very informative article on an important issue. Thanks for cutting through it all for us. Here's an interesting response from @ecologywa: http://ecologywa.blogspot.com/2015/05/new-oyster-permit-substantially-reduces.htmlAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14569547955777105119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-19234995431869844172015-05-01T13:42:07.101-07:002015-05-01T13:42:07.101-07:00This is just disgusting. And eelgrass is consider...This is just disgusting. And eelgrass is considered a precious ecosystem nursery. Yachtsman are admonished not to anchor in it to avoid pulling up a few plants, while the state is abrogating its responsibility to protect it from pesticides.<br /><br />Tell the oyster guys to use their own seaside tanks.Anselhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13835758313287462921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-44831829965706423222015-05-01T09:53:06.996-07:002015-05-01T09:53:06.996-07:00The eelgrass is actually an invasive species. It i...The eelgrass is actually an invasive species. It is not native to Willapa Bay and has significantly altered and degraded the Bay compared to its natural state. It affects much more than just the oyster industry.<br /><br />Eelgrass eradication fit neatly into a rhetoric of the oyster industry being greedy and self-serving, but it's not that simple.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-16828238478931192362015-05-01T09:07:14.924-07:002015-05-01T09:07:14.924-07:00Dr. Mass, I'm at a loss to understand why you&...Dr. Mass, I'm at a loss to understand why you're focusing only on the oyster industry as the agent of estuarine destruction. The majority of our west-side coastal agricultural land is former estuary, now diked, leveed, drained, and constantly sprayed with pesticides and herbicides. At least the oyster farmers are still growing estuarine organisms in the estuary. Are they any less to blame than a Mt. Vernon tulip farmer? The conversion of those estuaries to grow tulip, potatoes, blueberries, or whatever resulted in the 100% and absolute destruction of valuable coastal habitat. Note also that none of those crops are native to either Washington or to tidal flats. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention that all of that flat land in our coastal cities that we now work, play and live on is also former coastal estuary.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11455128157120463239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-29349166765577361872015-05-01T08:40:41.530-07:002015-05-01T08:40:41.530-07:00Dear Cliff Mass:
As a small oyster and clam farmer...Dear Cliff Mass:<br />As a small oyster and clam farmer in Jefferson County I commend you for this blog. There are some excellent points made about ecology as well as the hype about ocean acidification and industry/political relationships; however, there are some errors in your blog that you may wish to consider:<br />1. C. gigas (pacific oyster) can and does reproduce in our local waters of Hood Canal.<br />2. Not all shellfish farmers are getting rich. Many small farms work hard to support their families and actually protect the marine environment - they have to if they hope to have a productive farm (job) in the future.<br />3. Rather than turn against the entire industry, how about promoting knowing where your food comes from and how it is grown - whether large agribusiness or aquaculture, their business models differ significantly from the small family farms that are doing so much to protect the environment as well as maintain a healthy lifestyle for their families and communities. We are fortunate in Jefferson County to have these small farms.<br />The primary issue surrounding the controversy in this industry centers around management and responsible stewardship of a precious resource. Disinformation has been spread regarding many aspects of this industry - it is up to us as citizens and consumers to be informed and act accordingly - hold government (employees not taxpayers) and business accountable for their decisions as they affect us all.<br />Thank you again for your contribution.mfadamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05080447571460798884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-62929766260299098012015-05-01T07:25:58.893-07:002015-05-01T07:25:58.893-07:00Thanks cliff for this great post and don - wow, ho...Thanks cliff for this great post and don - wow, how shocking. I didn't know about the metal spikes. That is horrible. Thank you so much for that info. I agree with the sentiment of david. It reminds me of the piece john oliver did on the clothing industry and cheap clothes. Corporations like the gap constantly feigning surprise at the horrible human and labor rights violations while continually commuting the same violations over and over again. Corruption is rampant, money controls this country and the horrible atrocities are shrugged off as necessary evils to keep the wheel of industry turning. This attitude needs to stop. Brendanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15074831076479950542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-20013912251961345192015-04-30T12:46:53.062-07:002015-04-30T12:46:53.062-07:00Oyster growers use large metal spikes to hold down...Oyster growers use large metal spikes to hold down the nets over the oysters, these spikes are a serious danger to marine mammals. I saw two wales in two different years in Shelton cruzing the beach, probably rubbing their bellies in the sand near the oyster beds. The next day or so the same outcome "Dead whale found." Both whales died of multiple puncture wounds.<br />And, what about the starfish problem? This proposal to spray is just nuts, fore go our ecosystem to support a few oyster farmers? What a stupid idea!Bonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16942388237473048026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-41736327592447235912015-04-30T12:31:48.780-07:002015-04-30T12:31:48.780-07:00The Washington Department of Ecology has a presenc...The Washington Department of Ecology has a presence on Twitter!<br />Let Ms. Bellon know that she needs to walk her talk about keeping our state Evergreen!<br />@maiaballon<br />@ecolgywaAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08763215046556216865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-49799671998897066142015-04-30T12:29:31.590-07:002015-04-30T12:29:31.590-07:00The Washington Department of Ecology has a presenc...The Washington Department of Ecology has a presence on Twitter!<br />@maiabellon<br />@ecologywa<br />Let Ms. Bellon know that she needs to walk her talk about keeping our state Evergreen!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08763215046556216865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-47536597755854674552015-04-30T11:27:04.379-07:002015-04-30T11:27:04.379-07:00An injunction to halt the permit until peer reveiw...An injunction to halt the permit until peer reveiw of the EIS is warrantedNomlasderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13532582254756390947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-34584607815576403212015-04-30T10:02:31.938-07:002015-04-30T10:02:31.938-07:00For anybody that wants to dig into the environment...For anybody that wants to dig into the environmental fate of this compound this 2006 memo by Calif. Dept. of Pesticide Regulation is good start. With an aqueous photolysis half life of less than 3 hours it looks like the toxicity of its degradation products are the thing to concentrate on.<br /><br />http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/emon/pubs/fatememo/Imidclprdfate2.pdfDonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11108864457874688399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-16733907086345056592015-04-30T07:28:03.244-07:002015-04-30T07:28:03.244-07:00Sadly I'm not surprised. I know 3 people that ...Sadly I'm not surprised. I know 3 people that have left the EPA over the past 5 years because it has become a politically driven agency. Science takes a back seat to money!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10941659601233937737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-92174080204672751592015-04-30T03:32:53.838-07:002015-04-30T03:32:53.838-07:00Oysters are gross and I never eat them, but I am r...Oysters are gross and I never eat them, but I am really disappointed to learn about this. I like to think of our state as environmentally aware and progressive; the only state with more battery-electric cars per capita is California, for example. This is gross and I will be contacting my state congresscritters.JewelyaZhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09434569437851248356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-35236385799031231472015-04-30T00:28:56.141-07:002015-04-30T00:28:56.141-07:00I am glad this has come to light, but I am not sur...I am glad this has come to light, but I am not surprised anymore when goverment kowtows to industry demands. We no longer live in a republic, let alone a democracy, and nothing is more important than the money that goes to politicians. We are an utterly corrupt nation, one of the worst in the world.<br /><br />I suspect some politicians will act all surprised about this poisoning, and swear to make it all right -- now that it has come out in the press. But the corruption won't miss a step. I blame Americans for accepting it. David Appellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03318269033139447591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-33513991415470372262015-04-29T23:35:05.955-07:002015-04-29T23:35:05.955-07:00Why isn't this actionable under the Clean Wate...Why isn't this actionable under the Clean Waters Act?Bob Triggshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01477110366429518001noreply@blogger.com