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Shellfish are susceptible to changes in the pH of the ocean. In more acidic waters, they have a hard time forming shells.
credit:
Katie Campbell
Before leaving office, former Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire convened a panel to come up with recommendations for dealing with the threats of ocean acidification.
The panel released a report calling on the state to lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduce polluted runoff. It also recommended funding for public outreach, research and help for shellfish farmers.
Now, Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-San Juan Islands, has introduced a bill to put those recommendations into action.
“We need a body that can holistically look at statewide issues of ocean acidification and implement the recommendations to address those issues so that that report doesn’t just sit on a shelf,” he said.
The first step would be to create an advisory council that would include representatives from tribes, governmental agencies and officials from coastal counties and cities in Washington state.
In recent years, millions of larval oysters in Northwest hatcheries have died because the water has become too corrosive for them to form their shells.
Ranker’s bill is scheduled for a hearing Wednesday.
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