Puget Sound Net Pens
In August of 2017, Cooke Aquaculture’s Cypress Island Net Pen operation collapsed and more than 300,000 farmed Atlantic salmon escaped into Puget Sound. This escape was one of the largest environmental disasters in Washington’s recent history, and for months following the breach Atlantic salmon were being caught by recreational anglers as far north as British Columbia and 40 miles up the Skagit River.
In the aftermath of this environmental disaster, Governor Inslee signed HB 2957 into law, a bill banning non-native finfish farming in Washington’s waters. Considering that California, Oregon, and Alaska had long ago banned these destructive net pens from operating in their marine waters, Washington’s decision to outlaw Atlantic salmon farming was a long-overdue step. However, the law left a small loophole open that Cooke Aquaculture is now trying to drive a mack truck through.
Currently, Cooke is in the process of trying to transition their existing Atlantic salmon net pens to farmed triploid rainbow trout (steelhead), and they have unfortunately already received approval from the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife. The Wild Steelhead Coalition is deeply concerned about this effort and is working with our partners in the fishing, conservation, and tribal communities to convince state agencies and elected officials to deny Cooke’s application.
Steelhead net pens could have major repercussions on Washington’s wild steelhead populations. Not only would these net pens be a massive source of pollution and have the potential to spread deadly diseases and viruses to wild fish, but escaped farmed fish could interbreed with wild steelhead stocks and dilute the genetic pool. While the project calls for the use of triploid (sterile) steelhead, this sterilization is not 100 percent successful, making the risk of interbreeding possible in the event of a spill.
Puget Sound’s wild steelhead, which are in such dire shape that they are protected under the Endangered Species Act, are far too important to Washington’s people, economy, and ecosystems to risk by approving these dangerous steelhead net pens. Additionally, considering Cooke’s horrible environmental record in Washington and their history of dishonesty with the public and regulatory agencies, it is bewildering that the state might permit Cooke to transition their destructive Atlantic salmon net pens into even more perilous steelhead net pens.
Learn more about the Campaign to Protect Puget sound from net pens
