East Coast Shellfish Growers Association August 2021 Newsletter

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— Continued from page 10Pity the Resource ManagerPrecious few individuals in our society wouldwillingly sacrifice anything they believe is theirsfor the benefit of the “greater good.”How is the typical underpaid and overworkedstate resource manager supposed to navigatethis minefield? I suppose the primary concernis pleasing the bosses and keeping your job.That means meeting all the various (often conflictingand vague) legal mandates of dozensof federal and state regulations. From there itseems that the best approach is to try strikingan equitable balance among the many vestedresource users, while striving to meet the constitutionalmandate to maximize the benefit tothe sovereign. Perhaps the hardest part of thejob is tuning out the threats of the loudmouthsand blowhards, and the protests of the rich andpowerful.When it comes to shellfish farming I find itpretty easy to win over concerned individualswhen I talk about it in the abstract, especiallyone on one. Few people can credibly object toa policy that calls for allocating 5-10 percent ofa waterbody to the sustainable production ofseafood. In fact, objectors look pretty unreasonableand selfish if their only complaint is thatthey don’t want to look at us. Yet you can prettymuch take it to the bank that when a farmis proposed in front of someone’s waterfronthome, mobs with pitchforks, torches, highlypaid lawyers and expert witnesses will comeout swinging. Allegations of environmentalharm will be leveled and claims of navigationalhazards will be put forward.Unfortunately, all too often rational thoughtand scientific evidence are set aside to accommodatepolitics and the concerns of the richand powerful. Even if the applicant can showthat the proposed farm poses a minor inconvenienceto a small number of people, if thosepeople are well-connected they will often carrythe day. I take some solace in the knowledgethat lawsuits leveled against resource managerstypically fail. If permitting agencies follow thestate’s guiding documents and regulations, andconsider the various lines of evidence presented,the agencies can usually defend themselveson questions of how they manage publicresources.On the other hand, I can point to too manycases where the rich and powerful have defeatedthe reasonable and rational. Applicants areoften put in the impossible position of provinga negative, asked to show that their proposedlease is not the best fishing spot in the state, ortheir farm will not disturb the environment.Resource managers often say they have struckthe proper balance when all sides are equallypissed off, but all too often it seems they ignoreenabling language in state law noting that aquacultureis in the public interest, and instead bowto the pressure from the rich and powerful.I wish I had some uplifting message or advicefor new growers wading into these perilouswaters. I often say that farming shellfish takesan extraordinary combination of pigheadednessand patience, and if you can’t tolerate theapplication process then you probably won’tlast long as a farmer. The trial-by-fire that applicantsmust endure will certainly temper yoursteel, but may also take a toll on your sanity.— Continued from page 5Eliminating RiskHigh-pressure processing will killmost bacteria, but to eliminatenorovirus would require suchintense pressure that the shellfishwould be rendered unpalatable.I think we can be proud of theimprovements we have made inreducing the risk per serving associatedwith the consumption ofraw shellfish. We have a complex,multi-faceted regulatory processthat makes consumers confidentenough to continue to purchaseour products. We may rail againstrestrictive regulations and aggressiveenforcement, but this is theprice we pay for robust consumerdemand. The risk of illness formost foods is close to zero, butdefining the level of “acceptablerisk” for regulators and consumerswill always remain a challenge.1. Zwietering et al., All foodprocesses have a residual risk,some are small, some very smalland some are extremely small:zero risk does not exist. CurrentOpinion in Food Science,June 2021. doi.org/10.1016/j.cofs.2020.12.017Page 12 ECSGA Newsletter Issue 3 August 2021
— Continued from page 8Proposition 65in your foods and what specifichealth risks they might pose.So if you want to sell to California(or if your wholesaler is shippingto California) you may need todecide how much to spend ontesting, whether you want to labelyour food “this could kill or maimyou” or how much you can affordto spend on lawyers and howmuch time you can spend decipheringthe rules.1. oehha.ca.gov/proposition-652. www.p65warnings.ca.gov/what-proposition-653. oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65/proposition-65-list4. www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=652f6661f1c740545053c400dfe56616&node=pt40.24.180&rgn=div5#se40.26.180_13645. www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/sh-proxy/tr/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252FStandards%252FCXS%2B193-1995%252FCXS_193e.pdfFrom Seed to ShuckFor more than a decade, we’ve created proven systems to produce great-tasting, fast-growing oysters.Raise your seed using nursery gear designed by watermen for maximum resultsIncrease stocking density withproven, turn-key system.Grow large quantities of seed inour high-efficiency upweller.Sort, wash and size oysters formarket or further grow-out.TMGet in touch!(410) 397-3664HoopersIsland.comECSGA Newsletter Issue 3 August 2021 Page 13
Page 1 and 2: East Coast Shellfish Growers Associ
Page 3 and 4: A Win for the Good Guysby Robert Rh
Page 5 and 6: Can Raw Foods Be Eaten Without Risk
Page 7 and 8: — Continued from page 3Summer Har
Page 9 and 10: ECSGA Newsletter Issue 3 August 202
Page 11: Researchers Closing in onSolution t
Page 15 and 16: How Much Habitat Benefit Do Shellfi

East Coast Shellfish Growers Association August 2021 Newsletter

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