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Bill would create shellfish pest research board after Ecology denied pesticide request; critics warn of industry influence
Summary
The Senate Agriculture Committee heard substitute House Bill 1309 on March 17, which would create an integrated pest management research program at the Washington Department of Agriculture to address burrowing shrimp impacts on bottom culture shellfish.
The Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks Committee heard Substitute House Bill 13 09 on March 17. The bill would direct the Washington Department of Agriculture to administer an integrated pest management (IPM) research program focused on burrowing (ghost) shrimp and establish a governing board to oversee program grants and research priorities.
Committee staff, Jeff Olson, said the bill mirrors language passed in the House (94–1) and is a companion to a Senate measure. Olson recounted that in 2018 the Department of Ecology denied a request by growers to use a pesticide on shellfish beds in Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor, and that Ecology and shellfish growers subsequently entered a settlement agreement to pursue other management options. The bill would create…
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