Schoof Rosalind A, DeNike Jesse
Ramboll Environ US Corporation, Seattle, Washington.
Plauché & Carr LLP, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Integr Environ Assess Manag. 2017 May;13(3):522-527. doi: 10.1002/ieam.1905.
Shellfish aquaculture in the Salish Sea (encompassing the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound, and the Georgia Strait) is a major source of clams, oysters, and mussels in the United States and Canada. Plastic gear is necessary for the viability of many of these operations. During the past few years, shellfish farm permits issued in Washington State have been challenged on various bases that have included allegations that the plastic gear is releasing microplastics, commonly defined as particles less than 5 mm in diameter. Published survey data on sources of marine plastic debris demonstrate the very limited contribution of aquaculture gear. Both permits and industry codes of practice provide procedures to minimize loss of gear to the marine environment. Plastic gear is also designed specifically to maintain its integrity and not degrade in the marine environment. Plastic degradation is greatest on beaches with high UV exposure, whereas aquaculture gear is mostly underwater and/or covered by biofoulants. Available data for microplastics in water, sediment, and biota of the Salish Sea do not suggest significant release of microplastics from shellfish aquaculture operations. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:522-527. © 2017 SETAC.
萨利希海（包括胡安·德富卡海峡、普吉特海湾和乔治亚海峡）的贝类养殖是美国和加拿大蛤蜊、牡蛎和贻贝的主要来源。塑料渔具对许多此类养殖作业的可行性至关重要。在过去几年中，华盛顿州发放的贝类养殖许可证受到了各种质疑，其中包括指控塑料渔具正在释放微塑料，微塑料通常被定义为直径小于5毫米的颗粒。已发表的关于海洋塑料垃圾来源的调查数据表明，养殖渔具造成的影响非常有限。许可证和行业操作规范都提供了减少渔具丢失到海洋环境中的程序。塑料渔具还经过专门设计，以保持其完整性，不会在海洋环境中降解。塑料在紫外线照射强烈的海滩上降解最为严重，而养殖渔具大多位于水下和/或被生物污垢覆盖。萨利希海水体、沉积物和生物群中微塑料的现有数据并未表明贝类养殖作业会大量释放微塑料。《综合环境评估与管理》2017年；13:522 - 527。© 2017 SETAC。
