Cioppino at 2012 Oysterfest
Will OysterFest 2014 take place?
Oysters are one of the best things about Puget Sound … especially eating oysters.
Now, there may be a need to panic.
1. The Oysters are dying!
Last September, the Seattle Times ran a three-part story called “Sea Change: The Pacific’s Perilous Turn” The article rang the alarm that our oyster larvae grown in Puget Sound here been dying due to CO2-induced acidification of the coastal ocean. Cliff Mass has a great piece disputing the immediate threat on his blog.
Cliff’s reassurances focus on saying that the death of the oysters here is probably not caused by global climate change. His news, however is not so good for the oysters. “perhaps the origins are from mechanisms we can control (like poor sewer treatment, excessive far or forest run-off, poor practices at oyster hatcheries). ”
2. The Fairgrounds Don’t Want Oysterfest!
In the meantime, even more mundane threats affect eating oysters at the annual festival. Oysterfest may not happen because the fairgrounds in Shelaton may become unavailable! Read More →