SEATTLE TIMES | OPINION: Protect WA’s waters and tribal sovereignty: Ban commercial finfish net-pen aquaculture

On behalf of the Our Sound, Our Salmon we want to extend our sincere appreciation to Chairwoman Frances Charles of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Chairman Leonard Forsman of the Suquamish Tribe, and Community Chairman Steve Edwards of the Swinomish Tribe for their inspiring and compelling op-ed in today’s Seattle Times titled, ‘Protect WA’s waters and tribal sovereignty: Ban commercial finfish net-pen aquaculture.’

Together, these Northwest Treaty Tribal leaders are urging the Board of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources to take immediate action to formally prohibit commercial finfish net pen aquaculture.

“We urge Washington’s leaders to take this critical step and formally declare commercial finfish net-pen aquaculture is not fit for our waters. The time to act is now — for the fish, the water and the generations to come. Please join us in urging the DNR Board to ban commercial aquaculture net pen leases.”

The authors also encourage the public to support this initiative by contacting the DNR Board ahead of the upcoming vote on January 7th to adopt a rule that would safeguard Puget Sound for future generations. If you haven’t taken action yet, there’s still time!

For the past decade, Tribal and First Nations have been at the forefront of efforts to end commercial net pen aquaculture to protect the waters of Puget Sound and the Salish Sea, which have sustained their peoples, cultures, and traditions for millennia.

“It is about upholding tribal sovereignty, respecting treaty rights and preserving the traditions that have sustained our peoples since time immemorial.”

A coalition of American and B.C. activists are calling for net-pen fish farms to be banned in B.C. six months after such a ban passed in Washington.

Following the 2017 Cypress Island net pen collapse, the Lummi Nation sacrificed their own fishing season to lead the cleanup effort of escaped farmed fish.

Photo by Brandon Sawaya/ Soulcraft Allstars original from the article Who cleaned up the Atlantic salmon spill? Northwest tribes | Cascade PBS

First Nations protesters face down a Marine Harvest ship known as the Orca Chief–although members of the ‘Namgis prefer to call it “The Orca Thief.”

Photo By Alexandra Morton

Litigation and advocacy by indigenous communities has been fundamental to raising awareness about viral and other pathogen risks.

On the same day WA passed a landmark law banning all Atlantic salmon net pens, OSOS participated in a peaceful protest led by First Nations outside a BC legislator's office.

Photo by Wild Salmon Defenders Alliance