COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIES FOR SUPPORTING STAKEHOLDERS AND BUILDING PUBLIC AWARENESS OF AQUACULTURE ISSUES, PRODUCTS AND VALUE

In 2011, Washington State began an ambitious effort to advance shellfish research, ensure clean water, improve the aquaculture permitting processes and address ocean acidification through the Washington Shellfish Initiative. In 2017, Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) created the State Aquaculture Coordinator position to act as a liaison between growers and the many state and federal regulatory agencies that interact with industry. In addition the aquaculture coordinator is tasked with coordinating efforts of the Shellfish Initiative.

To meet these goals WSDA's communications team worked with the State Aquaculture Coordinator to develop strategies to promote the industry, work with the regulatory agencies and support the public understanding of aquaculture. The team employed social media, traditional media and stakeholder networking. This presentation explains some of the issues, hurdles and the techniques we have employed in our efforts to bring together sometimes disparate groups to make sure our state lives up to our commitment to Puget Sound and coastal communities in all aspects of shellfish production and harvest.

Shellfish are critical to the health of Washington's marine waters and the state's economy. In particular, shellfish farming is a foundation for rural Western Washington economies. Washington produces more shellfish than any other state in the country. Shellfish aquaculture adds more than 3,000 jobs and almost $300 million to the state economy. Shellfish farming has been an important component of Washington's growth for more than 160 years. It provided a foundational pillar for western Washington's rural economy and it's an important part of our state's heritage. Shellfish growers are the largest employers in at least two rural counties in Washington.

There is no question that shellfish farming is "farming" and can be supported in many of the same ways we support other aspects of the agriculture industry while at the same time protecting the public interest and the environment. We will discuss how to meet the challenge of facilitating interagency coordination to streamline regulatory processes and identify areas where rules or regulations are redundant.