Senate staff and shellfish growers told the Washington State Senate Agricultural and Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday that burrowing shrimp infestations have reduced production on Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor shellfish beds and that a new research program could help develop practical control tools.

Jeff Olsen, staff to the committee, told members that Senate Bill 5322 would require the Washington State Department of Agriculture to establish and administer an integrated pest management (IPM) research program focused on burrowing shrimp impacts to bottom-culture shellfish farming. The bill would create a governing board, a Burrowing Shrimp Research account, and includes legislative intent to appropriate $2,000,000 per biennium into the new account. The program, board and account would expire July 1, 2035. A partial fiscal note cited about $117,000 from the new account for initial implementation.

The bill would form a board made up of representatives from state natural-resource agencies, five shellfish growers and two shellfish processors from the Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor region, representatives of the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe and the Association of Oyster Growers, a nonprofit shellfish science organization and an ecosystem-based management collaborative. The bill calls for monthly board meetings and makes members eligible for reimbursement of expenses. The program would fund research into both chemical and mechanical controls, identify funding mechanisms and provide permitting assistance for growers.

Marilyn Sheldon, co-owner of Northern Oyster Company in Willapa Bay, said the industry has lost ground since growers lost an earlier control tool in 2014. "My farm personally has lost production on at least 500 acres of our farm since 2014," Sheldon said, and she tied those losses to closures and sales of farms in the region. Diana Carlin, representing the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association, called the bill "a significant step forward" and said it continues work begun by an IPM working group formed under a prior settlement agreement.

Laura Butler, legislative liaison and aquaculture coordinator at the Washington State Department of Agriculture, described the agency's current role administering IPM grants and summarized past grant work: "Thanks to the legislature, we've been able to award nearly $4,000,000 in over 20 research grants" exploring mechanical controls, alternative growing methods and laboratory work on natural biochemicals, she said. Butler added that "there are some promising tools out there, but nothing is quite ready for commercial deployment," and that the program is likely to produce a suite of tools rather than a single solution.

Committee members asked for visuals and outreach materials; growers said they can provide photographs and are preparing an informational video. The bill sponsor noted the proposal's fiscal implications and said she would consult with budget leaders about funding during a constrained budget season.

No formal action or vote occurred during the hearing; the committee closed public testimony and moved to its next agenda item.