The Squaxin Island Tribe recently held an intertidal geoduck dig. Geoduck typically are harvested by divers who operate from boats. Intertidal geoduck harvests are uncommon, in part because they must happen within a short low-tide window.
“We have to work as the tide is going out so we can dig the clams before they’re covered back up,” said tribal member Bear Lewis. In 90 minutes, Lewis harvested about 100 clams.
The dig also helped the tribe’s shellfish biologists answer some questions about local geoduck populations and harvest management. As part of a process to enable the beach owner to plant a commercial geoduck bed, the tribe has to figure out how many naturally growing geoduck there are.
You can find this story and more in the most recent edition of the NWIFC News, available now online.
