Re-posted from Puget Sound Partnership

From food to festivals to beach-walks, Washington Shellfish Week is celebrating all things shellfish. The Pacific Shellfish Growers Association is kicking off Washington Shellfish Week by compiling a variety of events. Festivities started April 15 and go through April 21.

Puget Sound is now off limits to vessel sewage discharge
Year after year, there are so many reasons to celebrate Washington Shellfish Week, and one of them came down the pipe very recently. On April 9, Washington State Department of Ecology’s Director, Maia Bellon, signed into law the Puget Sound No Discharge Zone. Effective May 10, this new rule bans the discharge of sewage within Puget Sound, benefiting public health, water quality, and shellfish. The Puget Sound Partnership uses the Vital Signs to measure, among other things, the amount of harvestable shellfish beds in Puget Sound. By making vessel sewage discharge in Puget Sound off limits, the new rule could benefit shellfish harvesting conditions.

Read the full Puget Sound Partnership article here.

Did you know? Since 2016, the Shellfish Strategic Initiative Advisory Team has focused funding on supporting the development of the No-Discharge Zone and on educating boaters about the new No-Discharge Zone. Check out the Department of Health’s Shellfish Safety Map for up to date information on where it’s safe and legal to dig your own shellfish for dinner! #digWAshellfish