Washington Approved Harvest On 184 Acres Of Shellfish Beds Near Kitsap Marinas

A "no discharge zone" established for boats in Puget Sound last spring and other improvements in onboard sewage handling is paying dividends for shellfish harvesters, according to the state Department of Health. 

The department reclassified 184 acres of commercial shellfish growing areas near six Kitsap County marinas from prohibited status to "approved" or "conditionally approved" for harvest. Marinas with reduced closure zones were Blake Island, Brownsville, Kingston, Keyport, Liberty Bay and Poulsbo.

Scott Berbells with the Department of Health's shellfish program said the state establishes harvest closure zones around marinas based on a formula that takes into account the number of boats that might be discharging waste into the water and area needed to dilute that waste. 

To read the rest of the story, please go to: Kitsap Sun