Soaring prices for geoducks a big boost for tribes in Washington

Friday, July 8, 2011  

Several tribes in western Washington are cashing in on their treaty rights, thanks to soaring prices for geoducks.

It's $10 for a pound of geoducks, a large clam that is considered a delicacy in Asia and among Asians in the U.S.. That's more than double the price during the 2000s.

“We did good,” Craig Parker, a member of the Squaxin Island Tribe, told Business Week of his crew's $25,000 harvest for a day's work.

Tribes and crews don't disclose their revenues but Business Week estimates that 80 Squaxin Island divers take in about $6 million to $8 million a year.

Get the Story:
Geoducks: Puget Sound Gold (Business Week 7/7)

Suquamish Tribe turns treaty fishing right into global money maker (2/3)