Natural shellfish habitats in local waters affected by human contamination have slowly been getting cleaner since 2003.
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) cites more than 50,000 tests in 38 shellfish growing areas, showing a decrease in fecal pollution since 2003 as a good sign that Puget Sound waters are making a comeback — and along with them, shellfish.
"It's encouraging to see improvements in Puget Sound's shellfish growing areas," said Secretary of Health Mary Selecky. "This is good news for shellfish lovers, our shellfish industry, and for those who have worked to reduce pollution."
According to the DOH, state health workers collect water samples for fecal coliform bacteria at more than 1,200 sampling stations throughout the Puget Sound to verify that shellfish are safe to eat. The agency evaluated the areas they found to have been most affected by fecal pollution, with those areas being sampled at the same time and frequency for more than a decade.
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