Acidic waters killing off millions of scallops along the West Coast

http://www.dailyclimate.org/

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/acidic-waters-killing-off-millions-of-scallops-along-the-west-coast-1.1732028

Sunday, March 16, 2014

B.C. [British Columbia, Canada] fishermen are struggling to deal with catastrophic losses as millions of scallops and oysters are dying off in record numbers along the West Coast -- a crisis experts suggest is being caused by an increase in fossil fuels in the atmosphere, leading to a rise in ocean acidity.

Rob Saunders, CEO of Island Scallops in B.C., says the rapid decrease in scallop populations has cost him millions in revenue.

“By June of 2013, we lost almost 95 per cent of our crops,” he told CTV News.

Saunders isn’t alone; oyster hatcheries along the West Coast say they are also losing product, causing some businesses to scale back operations and lay off staff.

According to a report by the BC Shellfish Grower’s Association, the steep decline in marine species can be linked to the recent boom in the fossil-fuel industry.

Experts say that oceans, which naturally absorb carbon dioxide, are becoming more acidic due to an increase in carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels.

Chris Harley, a marine ecologist from the University of British Columbia, says abnormally acidic waters make it difficult for shellfish to build the tough outer shells they need to survive.

“All the things an animal does to survive, some of those things become more difficult when the pH is so low,” he told CTV News.

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