Rising acid levels are addressed in panel’s new recommendations, The Columbian
One of the first and most frequent rebuttals to environmental concerns is based on finances: Can we afford the solutions? Therefore, we’ll begin this discussion of ocean acidification — admittedly a complex and still murky issue — by focusing on the financial aspects.
Washington state leads the nation in production of farmed shellfish, providing 85 percent of sales on the west coast, including Alaska. The shellfish industry contributes $270 million annually to our state’s economy and supports 3,200 jobs. It also contributes to tourism, as you know if you’ve ever dug razor clams on the coast. The impact of rising levels of acid in the ocean was dramatically illustrated between 2005 and 2009 with massive loss of oyster larvae in Northwest hatcheries, including the 2005 failure of larvae at Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchers on Netarts Bay near Tillamook, Ore.
The good news is that Washington state also leads the nation in research and advocacy on this issue, evidenced by Tuesday’s report from a panel of experts and stakeholders appointed 10 months ago by Gov. Chris Gregoire. The first of its kind at such a high level of state governance, the report includes 42 wide-ranging recommendations. Those include specifics such as increasing seaweed farming to remove carbon dioxide from ocean waters, and generalities such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.