| oduck clam is a large species of saltwater clam | | | | farmers employ special pipes pushed into the |
| that is native to the Pacific coastal regions. The | | | | sediment in which to raise the clams. These pipes |
| geoduck clam is the largest burrowing clam found | | | | prevent predators from reaching the young clams. |
| anywhere in the world. The average weight of a | | | | The clams are harvested ever four to six years. |
| geoduck clam is between one and three pounds, | | | | Harvesting techniques are very interesting. The |
| but there have been examples found of clams | | | | farmers spray the area with high-pressure water |
| that weighed as much as ten pounds! Geoduck | | | | hoses that liquefy the sediment where the clams |
| clams live extremely long lives, on average about | | | | are buried. This technique does no harm to the |
| 146 years. In fact, this is one of the longest | | | | environment around the fishery. In fact, the |
| lifespans of any animal species in existence today! | | | | farming of geoduck clams is actually beneficial to |
| There are several reasons for this longevity. First, | | | | the aquatic environment. Since geoduck clams eat |
| geoduck clams have very few predators. Only | | | | micro algae. Micro algae grow when there is extra |
| sea otters, dogfish, and starfish are strong | | | | nitrate in the water, and the increase in pollution in |
| enough to open and feed on the clams. Also, | | | | our modern society has led to an increase in |
| geoduck clams do not do much in order to | | | | nitrogen in our waters. The clams eat the excess |
| survive, so their bodies do not have much wear | | | | algae and actually store some of this excess |
| and tear. The way a geoduck clam feeds is by | | | | nitrate in their bodies. When they are harvested, |
| siphoning plankton in, filtering out the food, and | | | | the net amount of nitrate in the water is greatly |
| ejecting the waste. Geoduck clams are farmed | | | | reduced. Geoduck clam farming is growing steadily |
| for their meat. The first fishery was built in 1970, | | | | year-by-year, as it is an extremely profitable |
| but there was not much demand for the clam | | | | enterprise. In fact, each year there are about ten |
| until recent years. They are highly prized in Asian | | | | new acres added to the fisheries in the tidelands |
| cuisine today. In fact, they often sell for as much | | | | of Puget Sound. Some people who own shoreline |
| as thirty US dollars per pound. Geoduck clams are | | | | in the area are not pleased, because sometimes |
| usually eaten cooked but sometimes are prepared | | | | the pipes used to farm the clams can be seen |
| in the raw sashimi style. Soy sauce and wasabi | | | | from shore, but in reality, the pipes are only visible |
| are common condiments served with Geoduck | | | | about six percent of the daylight time. The |
| meat. Today the United States benefits highly | | | | economic benefits far outweigh any visual impact. |
| from the Asian countries taste for Geoduck | | | | Geoduck clam farming is bringing some |
| meat. The geoduck industry brings in eighty million | | | | much-needed revenue into our northern Pacific |
| dollars annually in the US and Canada. Geoduck | | | | shores. |