PCC Opposes Pesticide Use on Shellfish Beds

February 19, 2019

PCC opposed companion bills that would allow the use of imidacloprid, a neurotoxic pesticide, on shellfish beds in Washington state.

In September 2018, Washington State Department of Ecology (WDOE) concluded an extensive environmental review of the proposed use of imidacloprid on shellfish farms. WDOE determined that allowing the use of this neonicotinoid pesticide would not meet the standards of Washington’s environmental and water quality protection laws. Application of this broad-spectrum pesticide would have had significant and unavoidable impacts on marine life, including high mortality for Dungeness crabs.

The two proposed bills, one in the House and one in the Senate, sought to override the scientific determinations of WDOE and divest its authority to make future evaluations about pesticide use on shellfish beds.

PCC knows its members care about preserving the marine ecosystem and making sure that our food is produced sustainably, which is why we opposed these bills. Shellfish can be produced using sustainable methods that don’t require neurotoxic pesticides or other environmentally destructive frameworks.

Read our full letter to the House Environment & Energy Committee and the Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks Committee.