Fisheries Shellfish

Other Species

While to a lesser degree than geoduck, crab, clams/oysters, and shrimp, PGST fishers harvest a number of other species in and around Hood Canal within their designated U&A. These include:

Octopus

While there is limited information on the population, this soft-bodied, eight-armed mollusk is thought to be under harvested. Currently there is no management plan between the State and Tribes. If there is interest in harvesting octopus commercially, please contact the Natural Resource Office to obtain a regulation.

Scallop

Three types of scallops are found in Puget Sound: Giant Rock Scallops, Pink Scallops, and Spiny Scallops. Rock Scallops are currently protected and research on these scallops are being performed with participation from the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe. While pink and spiny scallops are popular menu items in restaurants throughout the Pacific Northwest, commercial harvest of the species is difficult. Commercial densities are currently located at depths over 100ft. In addition, scallops are susceptible to elevated PSP levels and require testing on a regular basis.

Sea Cucumber

Sea cucumbers have an elongated body and named after their resemblance to the fruit of the cucumber plant. The sea cucumbers resource is co-managed between the Tribes and the State. Puget Sound is divided into five districts with individual quotas. Dive surveys are being conducted to get an updated biomass for each district. Sea cucumbers are commercially harvested by divers from August 1 through March 31. Please contact Natural Resources if you are interested in learning more about harvest opportunities.

Sea Urchin

Red and green varieties of these spiky animals are found within Puget Sound. The resources is co-managed between the Tribes and the State. Currently, the region is divided into 7 Districts each with individual quotas. The red and green urchins have their own size requirements: Minimum size for green urchins is 2.25 inches; for red the minimum is 3.25 inches with a maximum size of 5.0 inches. The sea urchin fishery is opened year around with harvest allocations based on a size –based model using best estimates from dive and/or video survey data.

Squid

Squid fisheries are co-managed between the Tribes and the State. While some tribes do harvest squid, fisheries mostly serve non-tribal recreational fishers. While it is believed that the population of squid is robust, unfortunately, the amount harvested by recreational fishermen has not been well documented.