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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
November 12, 2020     Shelton Mason County Journal
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November 12, 2020
 
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Page A—16 Shelton-Mason County Journal Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020 Hood Canal Shellfish Summit considers connections By Kirk Boxleilner kbofleitner@masoncounty. com The Hood Canal Shellfish Sum- mit on Oct. heard a perspective on how maintaining the community’s connection to shellfish can improve tourism, education and culture, cour- tesy of Rachel Hansen, who’s active with Mason County tourism, Explore Hood Canal and the Shelton-based South Sound Mariculture. A Washington native with a fam- - ily history of shellfish harvesting, Hansen has remained active in the shellfish business, using her market- ing skills to promote shellfish culture through regional events such as oys- ter festivals and as editor-in-chief of Tracing the Fjord, a quarterly maga- zine that’s published since 2017. “People really love our shellfish here,” Hansen said. “We have a dis- tinct following.” Hansen noted the connections that many people forge to the culture and the cuisine of shellfish. She recalled how, in 2017, she partnered with the Washington Sea Grant and ad- dressed the need to identify all the roles that shellfish play in the area’s communities; “We would get people to be more mindful of the health of our waters and help us try to take care of them,” Hansen said. She explained that a literal shellfish “frame” was created to promote this goal, which was dis- patched to various community events and circulated on social media. A website was created at shellfish- trail.org to outline locations where shellfish can be harvested, at both farms and beaches, and purchased, and itineraries of shellfish-related events. In June, amid the spread of CO- VID-19, Hansen reported the Wash- ington Shellfish Trail site was re- ceiving roughly 400 visitors per day, which she pointed was a 450% in- crease from its previous traffic levels. “The most popular‘thing, it ap- peared, was the public harvesting,” Hansen said. “People just loved to figure out where they could go with their families.” To ensure the public would use the resources respectfully, Hansen said a shellfish and beach guide, and a map pamphlet, were created in July, which has since seen 800 downloads, “’ * " a. .‘ *5. 4“ fl? .. A youth stands on a pile of oyster shells in May 2019 at Hama Hama Oyster Co. in Lilliwaup. Journal file photo by Gordon Weeks 1,000 copies distributed through visitor information centers and busi- nesses, and 20,000 printed in Trac- ing the Fjord issues. Information in- cluded the types of bivalves out there and the licenses required to harvest shellfish. In 2018, the Washington Sea , Grant developed a 10-year coastal tourism plan to focus on tourism in connection with harvesting and wa- ter management. Hansen remarked that all water-related tourism (not just shellfish-connected) can affect a region’s resources, which makes it critical to share information about how to reduce negative effects with communities and prospective tour- ists. Tourists to Hood Canal don’t mind spending “a lot of money,” so long as they can connect with the environ— ' ment, Hansen said. She cited the Human Nature Hunting group as an example of visiting shellfishers who assemble in small groups on the Duckabush beach in Quilcene to dig clams and oysters to eat. “It’s semething people really iden- tify with, and when you’re identify- ing tourists for Hood Canal, these are things we need to consider,” Hansen said. “They’re not looking for big, fan- cy resorts. They’re looking to get that grit underneath their fingernails.” Hansen also touted the Hama Hama Oyster Farm Days as convey- ing a similarly appealing authentic— ' ity to outsiders, whom she described as- coming “from all over” for the event. r “It’s not perfect imagery,” Hansen said. “There’s seaweed on the oys— ters. There’s people outside, getting muddy and dirty. But it’s real, it’s fresh, and it connects with the land.” Hansen advocated working .with Hood Canal shellfish farmers to more fully communicate the value of such assets to their communities. Hansen acknowledged the “inter- esting problem” posed by sea otters, whose resurgence over the past sev~ eral decades has affected shellfish harvesting, but whose presence has its own tourist appeal. “And because of the sea otters, the sea urchins also died, which brought back our kelp forests, and essentially brought back some of our fisheries,” Hansen said. Hansen sees no division between cultural and economic identity in the area of tourism. “We need to not ignore it, and in- clude it in the conversation,” said Hansen, who hopes that marketing efforts such as her own help make Hood Canal “stronger and more sus- tainable.” Slur; in} Him' .‘s(“' H“, Monday tlu‘o Serving Shelton since 1932! Family Owned and Operated for 32 years! Alex LeCault, Owner Besides prescriptions, vitamins, diabetic supplies, and home healthcare, we are also known for Our gift shop! h Frida 9-6 I Saturday lOam-2 in I Closed Sunday 5}}? W. llmnklm Si, in Shelton 360-426-3327 M N. . , Dwedi’Eated, Dedicated‘t to your smile. I (3’25 animus Hwy . Sn 'al 1 _ Exam X-Ray , with paid cleaning Exam X-Ray Valued at $223 See office for details mm: be mum“! any other 0mm. pmau all a myofum Wm rim/20:0. ' staginmaz'.mn restraints