aef2455ecdf0a91962990c06fff0cc2f.jpg (Photo : Baidu)
China has banned geoduck shellfish harvested off the coast of Oregon and Washington, causing damage to local economies. The suspension of imports has a profound effect on the 270-million-dollar industry.
The ban was imposed as Chinese inspectors found the geoduck clams to have high levels of arsenic and other toxins. The Chinese government says restrictions will last indefinitely, and applies to all areas of the Northwest coast and to all bivalve shellfish.
Both state and local regulatory groups inspect the clams and their habitats, and have never encountered the problems China is describing. Producers and American regulators are waiting for specific information from Chinese inspectors so they can pinpoint the area that has caused the problem.
Most of geoduck clam harvesting occurs in Puget Sound off the coast of Washington state, with further production generated from local aquaculture. The ban affects the entire Northwest coast from Northern California to Alaska.
Geoduck farming and harvesting has raised concerns in the United States before. The growing harvesting and aquaculture industries has attracted both local and national attention to whether or not geoduck production is unduly harmful to the environment.
In 2012, the export of geoduck clams was worth $68 million, with the vast majority shipped to China. The clams are highly valued there, selling for as much as $150 per pound. They are most popular during Chinese New Year, meaning the timing of the ban couldn’t have come at a worse time for American producers.
Known as “elephant trunk clam” in China, they are considered a delicacy there where the savory seafood is often found in hotpot dishes. Some cultures consider the clam to have properties of an aphrodisiac, and studies show that eating the clam provides a range of amino acids that do, in fact, generate higher levels of sex hormones.
