After 40 years, the Net Pen Industry is Pulling Up Anchors, Towing Away Their Net Pens, & Leaving Puget Sound Forever
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Commissioner Hilary Franz Recognized Again as a Leader in Wild Salmon Recovery for Zero-Discharge Aquaculture Commitment
For Immediate Release
PDF Version
Media Contacts:
Emma Helverson, Executive Director, Wild Fish Conservancy, 484-788-1174, emma@wildfishconservancy.org
Kurt Beardslee, Director of Special Projects, Wild Fish Conservancy, 206-310-9301, kurt@wildfishconsrvancy.org
April 11, 2023— Washington State is once again raising the bar for governments and companies around the world when it comes to protecting aquatic ecosystems from the impacts of salmon aquaculture. In a press release this morning, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz announced the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has formally signed a new partnership agreement with Nova Scotia-based Sustainable Blue to explore opportunities for bringing the company’s proven Zero-Discharge Recirculating Aquaculture System (ZRAS) to Washington state as an alternative to open water net pens.
The letter of intent describes DNR’s interest in exploring sustainable models of ‘alternative aquaculture’ defined in the agreement in part as “aquaculture practices which do not discharge to an aquatic environment.” Through the agreement, DNR and Sustainable Blue commit to exploring possible locations for such a future facility on upland sites managed by the state with the goal of eventually negotiating a lease.
“Commissioner Franz has not only taken bold action to protect the environment by banning commercial open water net pen aquaculture, but through this new commitment to zero-discharge, land-based aquaculture systems she is advancing a market-based solution that will add-value and jobs to our local economy without compromising our wild salmon and the health of Puget Sound,” says Emma Helverson, Executive Director of Wild Fish Conservancy. “We applaud Commissioner Franz for her vision and continued leadership that is helping push the global aquaculture industry to invest and transition to the most sustainable and ecologically-safe alternatives that exist.”
The growing scientific record and public awareness of environmental harm caused by open water marine net pen aquaculture is driving a global transition to land-based alternatives. While land-based facilities can reduce some of this harm, recirculating or flow-through systems that draw and discharge substantial amounts of water from the environment pose many of the same pollution, parasite, and pathogen risks to wild salmon and their ecosystems as open water net pens. These facilities also introduce new risks associated with water intake, such as bycatch or entrainment of aquatic organisms.
In contrast, the ZRAS technology developed by Sustainable Blue re-uses 100% of its water and has zero discharge of waste material or effluent into local waterways or communities. The technology filters out all waste which is converted into a biogas to generate energy using an anaerobic digester. This technology, already in operation and sending fish to market in Canada, eliminates all major risks associated with conventional aquaculture practices to wild salmon and aquatic ecosystems.
“Over the last year, we have seen various risky proposals from corporations targeting governments in the Pacific Northwest for massive land-based facilities seeking to draw and discharge millions of gallons of marine waters every day, while relying on new technologies for treating pathogens and waste that have never been tested or proven,” says Helverson. “The global transition away from net pens and toward land-based alternatives is just beginning and it’s imperative that governments are setting the highest standards possible for this next phase of the industry. Through this new agreement, Commissioner Franz is sending a strong message that salmon aquaculture does not have to come at the expense of the public’s natural resources.”
The partnership comes on the heels of Commissioner Franz’s widely celebrated November announcement denying Cooke Aquaculture’s request for new net pen leases and issuing a new executive order prohibiting commercial marine net pen aquaculture in state-managed marine waters. DNR recently confirmed Cooke has removed all remaining farmed fish from their Puget Sound net pens and work to permanently remove the company’s facilities is currently underway. This marks the first time in 40 years this industry has ceased to operate in Washington public waters, finally allowing these heavily polluted and degraded sites the opportunity to naturally restore as part of the largest passive restoration project in Washington’s history.
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Wild Fish Conservancy is a conservation ecology organization based in Washington state and dedicated to conservation, protection, and restoration of the Northwest’s wild fish and the ecosystems they depend on.
wildfishconservancy.org
Wild Fish Conservancy facilitates the Our Sound, Our Salmon campaign.
A Monumental Victory for Wild Salmon, Orcas, and the Health of Puget Sound
For Immediate Release
PDF Version
Media Contacts:
Emma Helverson, Executive Director, Wild Fish Conservancy, 484-788-1174, emma@wildfishconservancy.org
Kurt Beardslee, Director of Special Projects, Wild Fish Conservancy, 206-310-9301, kurt@wildfishconservancy.org
November 18th, 2022— Today, Washington’s Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz made history when she announced a new groundbreaking executive order that will prohibit commercial net pen aquaculture in Washington state marine waters.
This new policy was announced earlier today by Commissioner Franz at a press conference on Bainbridge Island overlooking the Rich Passage net pens alongside leaders from Wild Fish Conservancy and Suquamish Tribe. The news comes on the heels of another long-awaited and widely supported decision announced earlier this week by Commissioner Franz that DNR has refused new decade-long leases to global seafood giant Cooke Aquaculture to continue operating commercial net pens in Puget Sound.
“After the incredible news announced earlier this week, it is almost impossible to believe we are now celebrating an even bigger, groundbreaking victory for our wild salmon, orcas, and the health of Puget Sound,” said Emma Helverson, Executive Director of Wild Fish Conservancy. “By denying new leases to Cooke and bringing forward this comprehensive, bold new policy to prevent commercial net pens from ever operating in Washington marine waters again, Commissioner Franz is ensuring Puget Sound will be protected, not just now, but far into the future for the benefit of generations to come.”
Together, the lease denial and executive order will require Cooke to remove all of their net pen facilities from Puget Sound before the end of year, marking the end of the commercial net pen industry that has operated in Washington state for over 40 years. The benefits of these actions for the recovery of wild fish, water quality, and the greater health of Puget Sound cannot be overstated. Immediately, this action will cease chronic untreated pollution that has been discharged daily at these aquatic sites for over forty years. Finally, these heavily polluted and degraded sites will have the opportunity to heal and begin the process of natural restoration as part of the largest passive restoration project in Washington's history.
The decision will also eliminate many major risk factors that harm the recovery of wild salmon and steelhead, including ending the risk of exposure to viruses, parasites, and diseases that are amplified and spread at unnatural levels by massive densities of farmed fish and the risk of future catastrophic escape events in which farmed fish could compete with, attempt to interbreed, or spread pathogens to threatened and endangered wild fish.
DNR’s decision will also restore the public and Tribal access to over 130 acres of Puget Sound that have been restricted by this industry for over forty years. More broadly, Washington’s decision will unite the entire U.S. Pacific Coast in excluding this industry from marine waters. Combined with Canada's recent commitment to transition open water net pens out of British Columbia waters, this decision also has the potential to eliminate a major limiting factor to wild Pacific salmon recovery at a coastwide, international scale.
“After the news earlier this week, we’ve heard from colleagues all around the world in places like Chile, Tasmania, Scotland, and so many others working to protect their own public waters from the environmental harm of commercial net pen aquaculture,” says Helverson. “Today’s historic decision is setting a new standard that will serve as a model and rallying cry to bolster the efforts of communities and governments around the world working toward this same end and we stand committed to leveraging our massive success to support their efforts.”
Cooke is the same company found at fault for the catastrophic 2017 Cypress Island net pen collapse that released over 260,000 nonnative and viral-infected Atlantic salmon into Puget Sound. Cooke purchased all of Washington’s net pen facilities in 2016 with plans to expand exponentially in Washington waters.
In response to this expansion plan, Wild Fish Conservancy launched the Our Sound, Our Salmon (OSOS) campaign in April 2017 to raise public awareness about the environmental impacts of commercial net pen aquaculture. In 2018, a coalition of over 10,000 individuals and hundreds of businesses and organizations under the banner of OSOS, worked in concert with Tribal efforts, to advocate for Washington’s landmark law banning nonnative Atlantic salmon aquaculture.
In July 2020, in response to Cooke avoiding the ban by transitioning to native species, the OSOS campaign launched a new initiative, Taking Back Our Sound, with the goal of preventing Cooke from receiving new leases. Through this effort, 9,000 individuals and 127 business and organizations called on DNR’s Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz through a petition and direct actions, which included a Bainbridge Island city resolution, to deny new leases to Cooke and to restore Puget Sound for the benefit and use of all. In making her decision over Cooke’s lease request, DNR was required by statute to issue a decision in the best interest of the public.
“It’s clear this victory for wild salmon, orcas, and Puget Sound belongs to no one person or group. Without the separate actions of thousands of individuals, Washington’s Tribal Nations, businesses, organizations, chefs, fishing groups, scientists, elected officials, and so many others working together over the last five years, this would never have been possible,” says Helverson. “It is truly inspiring to see what is possible when the public unifies their voices and works together with the law and science on their side toward the shared goal of a healthier Puget Sound.”
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Wild Fish Conservancy is a conservation ecology organization based in Washington state and dedicated to conservation, protection, and restoration of the Northwest’s wild fish and the ecosystems they depend on. wildfishconservancy.org
Our Sound, Our Salmon is a public outreach campaign launched in 2017 and facilitated by Wild Fish Conservancy to raise awareness of the harm caused by commercial net pen aquaculture and to lead the public in taking action to protect Puget Sound from this industry. Learn more at oursound-oursalmon.org
DNR Denies New Net Pen Leases In Historic Victory for Wild Salmon, Orcas, & the Health of Puget Sound
Today, we are beyond thrilled to share a massive environmental victory for wild salmon, orcas, and the health of Puget Sound that we have all worked so hard to achieve.
Over the past five years, through the Our Sound, Our Salmon campaign and coalition, we've been fighting together tooth and nail in the Courts, the legislature, and through direct appeals to state officials, calling for an end to the dangerous commercial net pen industry that threatens the health of Puget Sound.
Now, thanks to the unwavering advocacy of our broad-based coalition, Tribal Nations, elected officials, global partners, and so many others— WE DID IT!
Washington state has finally taken bold action to end commercial net pen aquaculture in Puget Sound.
Yesterday, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz and her staff at the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) made a groundbreaking announcement that they will no longer lease our public waters to Cooke Aquaculture. Yesterday, DNR delivered a letter to the company's executives notifying them that DNR denied their applications for new 12-year leases to operate net pens in Puget Sound. Cooke now has until December 14th to harvest any remaining fish and completely remove all of their facilities and debris from our public waters.
As the sole commercial net pen operator in Washington, this historic and monumental decision will effectively eliminate this industry from Puget Sound by the end of the year. In case it hasn't sunk in yet, it's finally time to say goodbye to Cooke Aquaculture.
“Since the catastrophic Cypress Island net pen collapse in 2017, I have stood tall to defend the waters of Puget Sound. This effort began by terminating finfish net pen operations due to lease violations. Despite years of litigation – and a company that has fought us every step of the way – we are now able to deny lease renewals for the remaining net pen sites. Today, we are returning our waters to wild fish and natural habitat. Today, we are freeing Puget Sound of enclosed cages.
This is a critical step to support our waters, fishermen, tribes, and the native salmon that we are so ferociously fighting to save.”
The importance of this decision for wild fish, water quality, and the greater health of Puget Sound cannot be overstated. Immediately, this action will cease the chronic untreated pollution that has been discharged every single day by this industry over the past thirty years. Finally, these heavily polluted and degraded sites will have the opportunity to heal and begin the process of natural restoration as part of the largest passive restoration project in Washington's history.
Wild fish will migrate freely through Puget Sound without the risk of exposure to viruses, parasites, and diseases amplified and spread at unnatural levels by massive densities of farmed fish, and Washington will never face the risk of another catastrophic net pen collapse ever again.
We also cannot emphasize enough the importance of this dfor the public's use and enjoyment of Puget Sound. For the first time in three decades, DNR’s decision will restore the public and Tribal access to over 130 acres of Puget Sound that have been restricted and degraded by this industry for far too long.
Beyond Washington, Commissioner Franz's decision is finally uniting the entire U.S. Pacific Coast in excluding this industry from marine waters. Combined with Canada's recent commitment to transition this same industry out of British Columbia's marine waters, this decision has the potential to eliminate a major limiting factor to wild Pacific salmon recovery at a coastwide and international scale.
Washington's decision to end commercial salmon aquaculture will also serve as an important model that will be leveraged by communities and governments around the world working toward the same goal in their public waters. Wild Fish Conservancy is proud to be a member of the Global Salmon Farming Resistance, a global alliance of organizations working together to protect marine ecosystems around the world from the commercial net pen industry.
All and all, today's massive environmental victory demonstrates what is possible when the public unifies their voices and works together with the law and science on their side toward the shared goal of a healthier Puget Sound.
Our Sound, Our Salmon Flotilla Protest, October 2017
THE FIRST OF MANY CELEBRATIONS
Even more exciting still, on Friday, Commissioner Franz has scheduled a press conference where she will announce DNR is setting new state policy to ensure the protection of Puget Sound into the future. The news will be delivered at 11:00 am on Bainbridge Island overlooking the net pens in Rich Passage on the very same beach where we held the Our Sound, Our Salmon flotilla protest back in 2017. Wild Fish Conservancy is honored to participate in this historic event alongside Commissioner Franz and Tribal Nations, and we encourage you to come join us to celebrate this major announcement. We'll send out more information later this week with details for those interested in joining for the event.
Over the last two years of calling on Commissioner Franz to make the right decision for wild salmon, orcas, tribal treaty rights, and the health of Puget sound, her recent decision demonstrates she heard our voices loud and clear. We could not be more grateful to Commissioner Franz and her team for their dedication and commitment to protecting the health of Puget Sound for current and future generations. In the days to come, we'll be reaching out with opportunities to thank Commissioner Franz for making this monumental environmental success possible.
But even as we celebrate Commissioner Franz, it's clear that this victory for wild salmon, orcas, and Puget Sound belongs to no one person or group. Without the actions of thousands of individuals, Washington’s Tribal Nations, businesses, organizations, chefs, fishing groups, scientists, elected officials, moms and dads, and others working together over so many years, this victory would never have been possible.
Working together, we took back Puget Sound.
Thank you to the nearly 10,000 individuals and 130 businesses and organizations supporting the Taking Back Our Sound petition to Commissioner Hilary Franz.
Trout Unlimited California
Frosty Hollow Ecological Restoration
Harbor Porpoise Project
Fraser Valley Extinction Rebellion
Friends of Miller Peninsula State Park
Brightside Charitable Foundation
Bamboo Rod Works
Northwest Sportfishing Industry Assn.
Baja Boat Works LLC
Alala Farm
Ecoservices
Falcon Mountain Services
Bell Hill Properties
Rich Passage Estates Homeowners’ Association
Salmon Fishers Back
Wild Whales Vancouver
Seattle Green Spaces Coalition
Care Hospital Inc
Echelon Consulting
Great Lakes Chapter
Hailey Rohan, Realtor / Land Agent
Inland Waters Landscape Services
Keystone Climbing Consultants
Inside Passage Seeds
Miklian’s Outdoor Adventures
Minus Plus
Mark Weick M. Ed. LMHC
Quoted PR
Kunnen Design/Build Inc
Chasing Daylight LLC
On Sacred Ground
Sunde & Co., LLC
Supan Builders
Technical Installation Team LLC
C&S Distribution
Westwind Farm
Greater Realty Inc.
Heron Reach Services
Alan Quigley Designs
North Cascades Conservation Council
Collaborative Fisheries Associates LLC
Wildlife Forever Fund
Collaborative Fisheries Associate LLC
Eagle Outdoor Media
Pacific Home and Garden
CGA Commerce, LLC
Lotus Films
In addition to our efforts to protect Puget Sound from commercial salmon farms in Washington state, Our Sound, Our Salmon founder Wild Fish Conservancy is a proud member of the Global Salmon Farming Resistance, an international coalition of groups working around the world to advocate for an end to open water net pen aquaculture over concerns for the harmful impacts on local ecosystems and communities.
Similar to Cooke Aquaculture's takeover of Washington state's net pen industry in 2016, the company recently moved to acquire the Tasmanian salmon producer Tassal, and is also working to take over and expand net pen operations in Iceland, Scotland, and other regions around the world.
Even as Washington state moves ever closer toward removing Cooke and this industry from Puget Sound, WFC is now working to support our colleagues in Tasmania and around the world to help raise awareness of Cooke's history of environmental harm and violations in regions like Puget Sound.
Read the article that went live this week in Australia to learn more about this global effort to protect Tasmanian public waters from this dangerous industry.
Stay tuned for more updates on this collaborative work and information on how you can support this global effort to protect oceans and ecosystems worldwide from this dangerous industry.
