The ramifications of a massive escape of Atlantic salmon in Puget Sound this summer continue to ripple outward. Most recently, the state Department of Natural Resources acted to terminate Cooke Aquaculture Pacific’s net pen lease for a fish farm near Port Angeles.
In August, a net pen owned by Cooke Aquaculture containing 305,000 Atlantic salmon near Cypress Island collapsed and released no fewer than half of the non-native fish into the essential Washington waterway. The company originally blamed a swollen tide caused by the solar eclipse on the mishap, but later admitted other factors were to blame.
In the aftermath, officials tallied several violations at the fish farm, including missing or damaged anchor lines, some of which were sitting outside the lease area, as well as bits of styrofoam crumbling off of its floats. Those findings prompted the DNR to conduct an inspection at Cooke Aquaculture fish farm near Port Angeles.
According to Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, the inspection revealed that the salmon farm, which holds more than 700,000 Atlantic salmon in its pens, represented a serious threat to the environment and the public. In addition to the termination of the lease agreement, the DNR has also requested that the facility be dismantled.
Recently, Washington state Reps. Jim Walsh and Drew MacEwen introduced a bill that would ban farming Atlantic salmon in marine waters under Washington’s jurisdiction.
Walsh, R-Aberdeen, noted in a press release that he is encouraged by the DNR’s decision and said he hopes it signals a sea change in policy going forward.
“It’s good to see DNR agrees with Rep. MacEwen and me that these fish farms, and the net-pen structures used for them, are an immediate threat to the public waters of the state of Washington. The risk these fish farms pose to our native stocks of Pacific salmon are real and deserve the attention of all state agencies that have jurisdiction over public waters and aquaculture,” said Walsh in the release. “Going forward, we need to look at revising public policy and statute with regard to Atlantic fish farms and net-pen structures. I hope to work with other legislators from both chambers on good bills that protect our public waters on a permanent basis. We need to ensure the ‘great Atlantic fish escape of 2017’ remains a singular event, helping us form good public policy in the future.”
MacEwen echoed Walsh’s optimism regarding the decision by the DNR while emphasizing the importance of the bill to ban Atlantic salmon farming in Washington.
“With DNR’s latest findings indicating unsafe conditions within Cooke’s Port Angeles facility, it’s even clearer we must end Atlantic salmon farming in our waters,” he said in the release. “Months after the Atlantics escaped, we’re still finding them alive as far as 42 miles up the Skagit River, where they pose a threat to Pacific salmon habitat. DNR’s decision to terminate Cooke’s net pen lease has set us on the right path forward in protecting our native salmon populations.”
The next legislative session, which will run for 60 consecutive days, is set to begin on Jan. 8, 2018.
