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Geoduck Harvest on Hold The cost of politics runs deep for Suquamish Seafoods
For the first time since the Suquamish Tribe launched its commercial geoduck harvesting operations in the 1990s, divers stayed out of the water this April. Aside from a brief sample dive on April 21 — when Joshua George pulled five geoducks to test the safety of a potential harvest area — no diving has occurred since mid-March.
“This is the first time in 24 years I’ve gone a whole April without working,” George said. “It’s stressful. We’re watching our money disappear.”
The silence on the water comes as the result of steep tariffs imposed by the Chinese government, an 84% hike in April alone, rendering the tribe’s primary export product too expensive for its core overseas market.
A Global Policy with Local Consequences
“This has a domino effect on the entire Tribe,” said Suquamish Chairman Leonard Forsman. “The tariffs hit our enterprise, which affects how much our divers earn, how much we can invest, how our families get by. This is a treaty-protected activity— something we fought to affirm back in 1995. And now, it’s being throttled by decisions made thousands of miles away.”
Forsman said the tribe is working hard to make its concerns known to policymakers and fight for relief from the federal government.
The current trade war began this year when the new U.S. administration levied sweeping new tariffs on economic partners and adversaries alike. China, like many countries, responded with its own tariffs on U.S. exports.
Tariffs are taxes placed on goods imported into a country. While designed to protect domestic industries, they can also have dire consequences — especially for small, export-reliant economies like Suquamish Seafoods.
Geoduck is a luxury item in China, prized for its freshness and traditionally served at banquets and celebrations. But with tariffs now exceeding 100%, the once-thriving trade has ground to a halt.
A Business at a Standstill
Jim Boure, General Manager of Suquamish Seafoods, said the shutdown has been devastating.
“We normally pull in about $100,000 a week in
A Deep Cultural Connection
For tribal members like Tyleeander Purser, who tends boats and supports the divers, geoduck harvesting is more than a job — it’s a direct connection to heritage.
“This is something our people have always done,” Purser said.
“Geoduck is the only Lushootseed word that made it into the English dictionary. That says something about how central it is to us.”
Purser described how traditional harvests once relied on tides and digging by hand — skills passed down through generations.
Today’s divers use sophisticated gear to reach deepwater tracts, but the spirit remains the same.
“Geoduck helped lift our tribe out of poverty. Our seafood enterprise created jobs, funded programs, and gave us economic independence. Now that’s all in jeopardy.”
Divers at a Crossroads
For George and fellow diver Kyle Purser, the uncertainty is as personal as it is professional.
“I’ve been doing this 24 years,” George said. “I don’t have a plan B. I didn’t go to college. This was my career.” geoduck sales this time of year,” Boure said. “Right now, we’re at zero.”
Without orders, the company can’t harvest. The product is too delicate to store. Geoduck must be shipped live and arrives in China within 24 hours of being pulled from Puget Sound. With no one buying, no one is diving. And the effects ripple far beyond the waterline.
“Our divers are independent contractors, but we also have plant workers, tenders, logistics staff,” Boure said. “We’re still paying for maintenance, sample testing, and other overhead just to keep things running. But that’s not sustainable for long.”
Boure estimates they have six to nine months of financial runway left without relief or a major market shift. “If we’re out much longer, we’ll have to scale down dramatically—or worse.”
Both men are raising families and said the work has allowed them to spend quality time with their children while earning a good living. But now they’re scraping by, living off savings and the occasional side job—if they can find one.
“We’re resilient,” said Purser. “But this has shaken us. If we have to start over at 40, that’s a big ask. Not just for us, but for our kids.”
George put it more bluntly: “This isn’t hurting the people who set policy. It’s hurting guys like us—who work hard, who pay taxes, who just want to provide.”
Despite the hardship, both divers say they’re holding onto hope.
“If we can get back to work soon, we’ll rebuild,” Purser said. “But we need people to understand— this isn’t just about shellfish. It’s about sovereignty, survival, and staying connected to the water.”
