Economic pros and cons of initiative

In 2011, Washington Governor Chris Gregoire announced a $4.5 million state-federal initiative to advance shellfish production in Puget Sound. Many people were skeptical of because they did not believe that the intitiative would be as beneficial as they first suspected. The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) disagrees, saying that, “It ‘streamlines’ the permitting process, making it easier for shellfish operations to expand into public waters and tidelands” (Woodworth). Gregoire explains that the shellfish industry is vital for the function of their community.

Washington leads the country in shellfish production with $107 million a year. The shellfish industry supports 3,200 jobs and provides a total economic contribution of about $270 million. Water quality needs to be improved to sustain the shellfish growth, and that is what this initiative set out to do.

Some environmentalists believe that this initiative is negative because it decreases biodiversity. It may boost the economy by adding shellfisheries, but it will take away from other tourist attractions and healthy ecosystems.

Works Cited

Woodworth, Cameron, and Eli Penberthy. “Washington Shellfish Initiative: Is It Sustainable?” PCC Natural Markets. N.p., Apr. 2012. Web.