Action Urged to Resume China Shellfish Trade

SEATTLE (AP) - Washington state’s congressional delegation and others are urging action by the U.S. to allow shellfish exports to resume to China.

The Chinese government announced Friday it would lift the five month-long ban on live shellfish from U.S. West Coast waters. But for trade to resume, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration must put in place new procedures to monitor and certify shellfish.

The ban affected geoducks and other bivalves from Alaska, Washington, Oregon and northern California.

A bipartisan group of legislators from those states urged NOAA in a letter Wednesday to swiftly finalize testing protocols. Washington U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, Rep. Derek Kilmer and Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler were among those who signed the letter.

NOAA said Friday it will continue to work with partners to finalize arsenic testing methods.