For immediate release:
September 3, 2009
(09-141)
Contacts:
Bob
Woolrich, Office of Shellfish and Water Protection 360-236-3329
Gordon MacCracken,
Communications Office
360-236-4072
Cleanup works: Shellfish harvest area near Skokomish River reopens
Cooperative effort reduces contamination threat from human waste to oyster, clam
beds
OLYMPIA - The Washington State Department of Health reopened the Annas
Bay shellfish harvest area in Mason County Wednesday afternoon. The agency had
closed the area Aug. 18 because of the potential for human waste left by sport
fishers to contaminate oysters and clams.
Annas Bay, on Hood Canal near Union,
lies immediately downstream of the salmon fishery taking place on the Skokomish
River. Because of tides, harvests won’t begin until at least today.
Wednesday, Department of Health
shellfish staff members spent several hours examining the area. In the past
week, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) staff, Hunter Farms and
sport fishers have thoroughly removed and buried human waste, and have picked up
trash along the river.
WDFW has placed a sufficient number of
portable toilets for sport fishers. It is making sure the portable toilets are
maintained, it has placed trash receptacles in obvious locations, and it has
encouraged fishers to use the portable toilets and to maintain the cleanliness
of the area.
“It is obviously working, because there
is virtually no evidence of human waste anywhere near the river,” said Bob
Woolrich, Growing Area Section manager for the Department of Health’s
Office of Shellfish and Water
Protection.
“WDFW, Hunter Farms and the sport fishers deserve credit for
cleaning the area and making Annas Bay safe once again for the harvest of
oysters and clams downstream.”
“WDFW is extremely proud and
appreciative of the outstanding cleanup effort that our staff, Hunter Farms and
sport anglers took on voluntarily,” said
Phil Anderson, WDFW interim director. “Their accomplishments, combined with the
good behavior on the part of the anglers, have resulted in this positive
outcome. We’ll continue to work closely with the Department of Health to monitor
the fishery and rely on anglers to do their part to keep the area safe and
clean.”
Anderson and WDFW staff members toured
the river with Department of Health staff members to assess the situation
first-hand during the week of Aug. 24.
In response, WDFW:
·
Increased the number of portable toilets,
together with Hunter Farms, (to 17) placed at key points of angler entry to
fishing areas;
·
Increased the number of solid waste receptacles,
together with Hunter Farms, (to four) placed at convenient locations;
·
Posted
signs in the area to educate anglers about the need to use facilities and
Dumpsters;
·
Issued a
news release about the sanitation concerns associated with the fishery, and
emphasized that angler assistance is needed to keep the fishery safe, clean and
orderly or that the fishery could be closed;
·
Had
enforcement officers and Fish Program staff contact anglers on the river to
deliver the message directly;
·
Cleaned
up human feces and garbage on the shores and banks of the Skokomish River from
Purdy Creek downstream to the culvert replacement project on state Highway 106.
The reopening will not include the 300-acre area now classified as “Prohibited”
because an administrative process is required to reclassify that part of Annas
Bay.###
