For sustenance and tradition, Puget Sound tribes and scientists join forces to breed millions of clams

When Suquamish tribal member Robin Sigo returned home from college in 1998, the cockles weren’t there to greet her. . .

Over the past three springs and summers, the Suquamish, along with PSRF and NOAA and with guidance from Fish and Wildlife, have developed strategies on how to increase the cockle population in natural habitats. After many stops and starts — including a mysterious clam cancer that threatened the entire project — they succeeded this year in breeding more than a million juvenile cockles. Tribal members will use this batch for ceremonial and sustenance purposes; if wild cockles need restoration help down the line, the team is a step closer to knowing how to start.