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View
of N. Totten shoreline facing south, showing clam beds covered
with nets, single shell oysters in plastic mesh bags.
Nearest the waters edge is where geoduck tubes start. July
2006. |
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View
of N. Totten shoreline facing north, showing more oyster bags as
far as the eye can see, July 2006. |
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Geoduck
PVC tubes that were in the water for 6 years at N. Totten.
Tide is out farther so they can be seen, July 2006. |
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Close
up view of Geoduck same tubes. |
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Rerouting
upland stream flow around oyster bags if the natural flow doesn't
suit the grower. Note the tractor. N. Totten site, January 2001. |
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Another
view of same rerouted water way, 2001. |
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Trucks
on the beach in sensitive area. What is more damaging to the
inter-tidal zone? Tractors, trucks, bags, PVC tubes, wire mesh
dikes-aren't they as damaging as concrete bulkheads? 2001 |
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Another
view of trucks on same beach, 2001. |
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Netting
over clam beds, typical of what occurs in Hammersley and Totten Inlets 2006 |
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More
netting, same areas, 2006. |
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Oyster
bags held in place with plastic clips and sharp wire clips (the
beach is littered with these) and held in place with rebar post,
Totten Inlet, August 2006.
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Netted
clam beds are closest inshore, next level is the oyster bags, with
Geoduck tubes closest to water's edge. N. Totten, 2006 |
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Wire dams held in place by rebar posts separate different
plots, and slow down wave action coming from the southwest. Totten
Inlet, 2006. |
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Closer
view of same wire dams. |
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Geoduck
used to be harvested in the sub-tidal zone, but they are now
planted in the inter-tidal zone and harvested with water-jet
hoses. This does displace the benthic organisms. Some
research shows that juvenile finfish cannot swim away fast
enough and get suspended silt in their gills, which may kill them.
Animals that are considered to have no commercial value (i.e.
horse clams) or are deemed to be predators of the geoduck (i.e.
starfish, crabs, etc.) are often killed and thrown onto the beach
to die in the sun. Damaged geoducks are left behind to die.
The stink is horrible and lasts for days at daytime low tides,
drifting as far away as two miles downwind. N. Totten,
April 2006 |
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Same
geoduck
harvest area wider view. What is important is that this was the
fourth harvest of the same site over five
months. This is something the industry never mentions.
August 2006. |
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What is left after the geoduck harvest
and the fourth liquefaction of the shore-- a moonscape
at this N. Totten site. August 2006. |
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The same area as above- it seems to take 3 weeks for the
harvested area to return to a more normal appearance, however, it
is not known if the benthic organisms have been able to re-inhabit
the same area. The composition of the beach is different
from gravelly sand to just muck now. September 2006. |
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For as far as the eye can see, this is modern day aquaculture.
N. Totten, September 2006 |
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Another view of same area.
Walking through the muck one will find loose, sharp metal clips,
plastic ties, rebar posts sticking up to trip on. After a
harvest, or left alone, a layer of silt appears over the tops of
the oyster bags, an seaweed gets hung up or grows on the nets.
September 2006 |
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Hammersley Inlet-
This photo goes with the one below. These workers are
checking the site just prior to planting. We know more
plantations are in Hammersley, but it is difficult to navigate the
hazards in this Inlet at low tide, when the best viewing of
nearshore aquaculture occurs. August 2006. |
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Hammersley
Inlet- skow with geoduck tubes for planting. If you see a
similar vessel off your sore, you know a geoduck plantation is
happening nearby. August 2006 |
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Eld Inlet - single shell oyster bags. August 2006. |
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Eld Inlet - geoduck plantation. August 2006. |
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Eld Inlet - new geoduck planting site. August 2006. |
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Lest
we forget, salmon pen abandoned in 2000 in Pickering Passage, SE
tip of Hartstene Island.. |
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Same site in Pickering Passage -- it took two
years for this abandoned salmon net pen to be dismantled and
taken away |
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Another
view of the same abandoned pen. |
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