We can’t risk losing Puget Sound and its bounties

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By Bill Dewey | For The Olympian • Published May 17, 2008

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“It’s a real oyster lover’s oyster.” So exclaimed a New York executive chef after sampling the oyster judged “best tasting” at a recent national challenge where 19 varieties of oysters from three coasts went up against each other in a blind tasting.

The winner? The best tasting oyster not only came from Washington, it matured right here in South Puget Sound’s Totten Inlet.

But just after the Totten Inlet Virginica earned this honor at the first Invitational Oyster Challenge, which took place last month in Provincetown, R.I., the Washington state Department of Health released its annual list of threatened shellfish areas. It revealed that pollution threatens 17 of the state’s 97 commercial shellfish growing areas, including three in the south Sound.

And so those prized bivalves took a backseat to the bad news. It’s a shame. But the situation raises a very important question: Knowing how revered Puget Sound’s bounties are — not just locally, but nationally and internationally — why would we put at risk our ability to produce them?

That’s exactly the kind of tragedy the Puget Sound Partnership is working to prevent. This community-led effort, charged with restoring Puget Sound’s health, is developing an action agenda that will be our region’s roadmap to a healthy sound for generations to come.

While the partnership works to develop a plan of attack, we already know that shellfish are a significant food source and large economic contributor in our region. The commercial value of Puget Sound farmed clams, oysters and mussels is more than $59 million annually.

The annual recreational value of shellfish is conservatively estimated at $19 million.

We also know that clean water is the most important factor in growing shellfish that are safe to eat — not to mention prize- winning. But we must recognize that we all contribute to the problem, and if we want to fix it, we all must work together.

Simple things make a difference.

Inspecting and maintaining septic systems. One-third of households around Puget Sound rely on septic systems, many of which are old or leaking, sending human waste into the groundwater and streams that empty into Puget Sound.