BREAKING: Washington State Makes History with Bold New Policy Ending Commercial Net Pen Aquaculture in Puget Sound

A Monumental Victory for Wild Salmon, Orcas, and the Health of Puget Sound

For Immediate Release
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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

WE DID IT! GOODBYE PUGET SOUND NET PENS

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.”

— Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, November 14, 2022

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

A Second Court Rejects Cooke Aquaculture’s Challenge Over Termination of Port Angeles Net Pen Lease

This week, Cooke Aquaculture faced yet another legal defeat when a second Washington court rejected their efforts to sue Washington state over the termination of the company’s lease for their Port Angeles net pen operation.

On Tuesday, Washington’s Court of Appeals issued an opinion affirming a lower court ruling upholding the Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) decision to terminate the lease.

The Court’s decision represents another major step forward in the public’s hard-fought efforts to remove this dirty industry from Puget Sound waters. Our Sound, Our Salmon applauds the Courts for putting our natural resources and the interest of the public ahead of this powerful corporate interest.

Cooke Aquaculture’s net pens in Port Angeles Harbor prior to being removed after the termination of the lease in December 2017.

This week’s decision concludes a nearly four-year appeal process that began in early 2018 when Cooke filed suit against DNR, arguing the agency had wrongfully terminated the lease ahead of the 2025 expiration date. In 2020, a Thurston County Superior Court Judge rejected Cooke’s challenge and the company appealed the decision to the Court of Appeals which issued the opinion this week.

DNR terminated the lease in December 2017 after an investigation revealed various violations at the Port Angeles facility, including operating outside of its boundaries, failure to pay rent timely, and not operating the facility in a safe condition. Shortly following the termination, the net pens were completely removed from Port Angeles Harbor. 

“My duty to the people of Washington is to protect our state lands and waters, while also generating revenue for schools, essential services, and restoration of natural areas like Puget Sound. After the collapse of Cooke’s Cypress Island net pen in August, which released 160,000 non-native salmon into our waters, I directed my staff to inspect every net pen site in the state to ensure that Cooke was meeting its contractual obligations and that our waters are safe.

 “It is now clear that Cooke has been violating the lease terms for its Port Angeles net pens. In light of this violation, and in fulfillment of my commitment to protect our lands and waters, I am terminating the lease.”

Hilary Franz, Commissioner of Public Lands, December 17, 2017

This week the Court overwhelming rejected Cooke’s opinion that the decision to terminate the lease was arbitrary and capricious, finding DNR’s decision “was based on facts supported by substantial evidence, pursuant to plain terms of the contract, was well reasoned and made with due regard to the facts and circumstances.” 

Cooke Aquaculture was found at fault for the August 2017 collapse of their Cypress Island net pen within the Cypress Island Marine Reserver and Conservation Area. The collapse released over 260,000 nonnative fish into Puget Sound that were infected with an exotic, debilitating virus. Photo: Wild Fish Conservancy

Cooke is also suing DNR in a separate ongoing lawsuit over the early termination of the company’s Cypress Island lease.  The lease was terminated following the 2017 catastrophic collapse of a Cooke net pen that released over 260,000 nonnative Atlantic salmon infected with an exotic virus into Puget Sound.

FURTHER READING: Washington state cancels lease for Cooke Aquaculture Atlantic salmon farm near Cypress Island | The Seattle Times

A comprehensive investigation by DNR and other Washington agencies found Cooke at fault for the collapse and Cooke was also required to pay $2.75 million in Clean Water Act violations in a lawsuit brought by Wild Fish Conservancy. The collapse also resulted in Washington passing a landmark and widely celebrated law banning all nonnative Atlantic salmon finfish aquaculture, Cooke’s only enterprise at the time.

“I hope the public will join me in thanking Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz and her department for their unwavering commitment to protecting Puget Sound in the face of Cooke’s meritless, costly, and time-consuming lawsuits. Under Commissioner Franz’s leadership, DNR has a proven record as the only regulatory agency in Washington willing to take bold action to hold this dangerous industry accountable.”

Kurt Beardslee, Executive Director of Wild Fish Conservancy & Founder of Our Sound, Our Salmon

In a controversial decision, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife permitted Cooke in 2020 to begin rearing steelhead in their Puget Sound net pens where the company holds valid leases. With the Cypress Island and Port Angeles leases terminated by DNR, Cooke only holds valid leases for two net pen sites in Puget Sound. Both leases will expire next year, and Cooke will need to apply and secure new leases from DNR to continue operating in Washington. In a letter to Cooke earlier this year, DNR warned the company that the agency has not yet decided if they will issue Cooke new leases.

This week’s Court decision could not have come at a more important time. With Cooke’s only existing leases set to expire next year, DNR is in a critical decision-making period that will determine the future of this industry in Puget Sound. The Court’s decision removes any opportunity for Cooke to try and recover millions in lost revenue from DNR, which would have provided Cooke important leverage to potentially negotiate their future and new leases in our public waters.

In July 2020, Wild Fish Conservancy submitted official applications to DNR requesting to lease all of the sites used by Cooke for commercial net pen aquaculture. This alternative proposal, the Taking Back Our Sound Restoration Project, seeks to hold these waters in public trust for the sole purposes of restoring these polluted sites to their natural state and restoring the public’s access to over 130 acres of Puget Sound that have been restricted for private profit for over three decades.

Through the Our Sound, Our Salmon campaign — Taking Back Our Sound — this proposal is now supported by a broad-based coalition of over 100 businesses and organizations and over 6,000 individuals who have signed onto the petition to Commissioner Franz calling on DNR to not extend, renew, or reissue leases for commercial net pen aquaculture in Puget Sound and to instead lease these waters for this unprecedented restoration project.

The expiration of these leases comes only once in a decade and offers the public a rare opportunity to work together to take back our sound from the net pen industry. Cooke’s first lease will expire in March 2022, therefore it’s critical at this time that we continue to work together to call on DNR to make the right decision for wild fish and the health of Puget Sound.

Add your name to the petition to Commissioner Franz!

Sign on your business, organization, or group!

Despite Pending Court Decision, Cooke Aquaculture Gets Greenlight to Stock Hope Island Net Pen

Yesterday, despite ongoing litigation and prior to finalizing updates to emergency response plans critical to protecting wild salmon, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) granted fish farm giant Cooke Aquaculture a transport permit to begin planting steelhead/ rainbow trout in their Hope Island net pen facility.

Hope Island net pen near the mouth of the Skagit River, Puget Sound’s most important salmon bearing river. Photo by Steve Ringman, Seattle Times

The timing of this decision has perplexed many throughout Puget Sound given next month the Washington Supreme Court will hold trial to determine whether WDFW violated state law by approving Cooke Aquaculture’s project proposal to transition their Puget Sound net pens to steelhead/ rainbow trout without adequately considering the environmental risks.

If the Court rules against WDFW, all of Cooke’s existing permits and the underlying environmental review will be invalidated until WDFW conducts the comprehensive environmental impact statement requested by salmon and orca advocates, six Tribal Nations, elected officials, and thousands of members of the public.

As a result, Cooke’s permits could be revoked while they have farmed fish rearing in their net pens, a less than ideal situation that could result in a lengthy and expensive legal battle and has the potential to place an unnecessary financial burden on the public. Just as concerning, if not more, is the potential harm and impact to threatened and endangered wild fish populations and the health of Puget Sound that could occur during the time these fish are in the water. By revoking the permits the Court would be agreeing that the environmental review did not adequately consider or address the environmental impacts of this project, further highlighting the recklessness of this rushed decision to allow Cooke to stock their pens before challenges of the permitting process are complete.

“Right now, Washington’s highest court is deciding whether Cooke Aquaculture’s new project should have ever been approved. This decision to approve the transport of fish into Puget Sound net pens while the court's decision is pending is reckless and further demonstrates an alarming pattern of state agencies putting the wishes of a billion-dollar industry ahead of wild salmon recovery, tribal treaty rights, and the public’s best interest.”

Kurt Beardslee, Executive Director, Wild Fish Conservancy

During the August 6th Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting a day after the transport permit was granted, WDFW Director Kelly Susewind defended the decision pointing out that currently, Cooke has a valid lease and valid permits to operate at its Hope Island site despite pending litigation, and that the agency can find no legal basis to deny the transport permit. This explanation suggests WDFW either does not have authority to delay issuing a permit even when there is a financial and ecological risk, or they have the authority but choose to take an action that directly benefits Cooke at the expense of threatened and endangered species and the public’s best interest. Even if Cooke can legally be granted a transport permit, meeting bare minimum legal requirements is not an appropriate or precautionary approach to managing species threatened or endangered with extinction.

The new permit, signed August 5th by the department, will allow for 365,000 steelhead to be transported and placed in Cooke’s facility off Hope Island located at the mouth of the Skagit River— one of Washington’s most important salmon bearing rivers.

Much like Cooke Aquaculture’s permits, the future of the company's leases also face uncertainty. The existing lease for the Hope Island facility expires in March 2022 and Cooke will need to secure a new lease in order to continue operating. Based on Cooke’s own timeline, this lease expiration will occur long before the 365,000 steelhead at this facility would reach a harvestable size. Without a valid lease for this farm beyond that deadline, Cooke would be required to remove these fish, as well as all of their net pen infrastructure.

In July 2020, through the new initiative Taking Back Our Sound, Our Sound, Our Salmon founder Wild Fish Conservancy submitted applications to lease all public waters currently and historically used for commercial net pen aquaculture in Puget Sound. In contrast to Cooke’s proposal to continue restricting and degrading these waters for private profit, the Taking Back Our Sound Restoration Project seeks to hold these waters in public trust for the sole purposes of restoring them to their natural state and restoring the public’s access to over 130 acres of Puget Sound. Right now, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is deciding between these two starkly different proposals. Help call on DNR to make the right choice by signing the petition below!

Another key concern is that WDFW is allowing Cooke to begin planting fish in their Hope Island net pen before the agency has finalized updates to two emergency response plans for responding to escape events like the Cypress Island collapse. According to Cooke’s permits, these plans— the ‘Fish Escape Response and Reporting Plan’ and ‘Fish Escape Prevention Plan’— only need to be updated annually and are not a legal requirement of the transport permits themselves. These updated plans have been submitted by Cooke to WDFW and are currently being evaluated. While the decision to allow Cooke to begin planting their Hope Island site prior to these plans being updated may be legal as defined by Cooke’s operational permits, it certainly does not demonstrate precautionary natural resource management.

Most concerning, Cooke is required to consult with local Tribal Nations in drafting these plans, and as far as we understand has never occurred. This is particularly concerning given Tribal Nations were forced to shoulder the burden of recovering Cooke’s escaped fish during and following the Cypress Island collapse. We are entirely grateful to the Lummi Nation and other Tribal Nations who sacrificed their own fishing seasons in order to lead an emergency response effort after industry and government failed to implement a sufficient response plan.

Regardless of the minimum legal requirements, stocking these net pens should not occur when the future of Cooke’s leases and permits are uncertain, before Tribal Nations have been adequately consulted, and when updates to emergency procedures are pending.

Bainbridge Island City Council Resolution Supports Taking Back Our Sound

On November 27th, the Bainbridge Island City Council passed an official resolution declaring support for the Taking Back Our Sound campaign, a competing proposal to lease all waters in Puget Sound leased and degraded by the net pen industry for over three decades.

A RESOLUTION of the City Council of Bainbridge Island, Washington, hereby declaring the City Council’s support for the Wild Fish Conservancy’s proposal to the Washington Department of Natural Resources to lease aquatic lands in Rich Passage currently leased for commercial marine net pen finfish aquaculture for the purposes of restoring these aquatic lands to their natural state and restoring full access of these aquatic lands for the public’s full benefit, use, and enjoyment.

The resolution urges Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz to deny new leases to Cooke Aquaculture in Rich Passage and to instead lease those same public waters for the Taking Back Our Sound Restoration Project proposal that seeks to eliminate all commercial net pens and the environmental impacts they pose, thereby restoring these industrialized sites and public access to 130 acres of Puget Sound— 54 of which lie in waters surrounding Bainbridge Island.

The Council also encourages all Bainbridge Island residents to sign the Taking Back Our Sound petition to Commissioner Franz which urges the Department of Natural Resources to stop leasing our public waters for net pen aquaculture and to guarantee the public that these waters—currently degraded and restricted for private profit—will be restored and managed for the public’s benefit and use by all citizens

The resolution, introduced by City Council member Christy Carr, passed with unanimous support form all six council members and was signed by the Mayor. The resolution describes the Council’s concerns over the well-documented risks and environmental impacts posed by three commercial net pens spread across Rich Passage, with specific concern over the impacts to the Orchard Rocks Conservation Area. Two of Cooke’s three net pens in Rich Passage lie directly within this conservation area, designated for special protection in 1998 for the unique and priority habitat it provides for a rich variety of marine plants, mammal, fish, and bird species.

The Council also expresses their concern over the potential for the Bainbridge Island net pens to create a dangerous obstacle and nuisance attraction for marine mammals, including the endangered Southern Resident killer whale population. In April, a Bainbridge Island resident captured video footage of killer whales swimming dangerously close to the net pens in Rich Passage while the industry was operating their harvest vessel. Similarly, sea lions and seals have been observed by local landowners both inside the pens and hauling out on the structures, increasing the risk of harassment, boat strikes, entanglement, consumption of pharmaceuticals, and other chemicals, as well as the potential for unnatural levels of predation on wild fish also falsely attracted to the pens. The gallery below shows one case in which over 100 pinnipeds were hauled out on a single pen near Fort Ward Park.

The Council also state’s their concern over the industry’s history of permit violations and mismanagement at the Bainbridge net pen facilities. Violations at these pens includes:

• 1999 net pen facility collapse that released approximately 100,000 non-native salmon into Puget Sound

• 2012 outbreak of Infectious Haematopoietic Necrosis (IHN) that lasted several months, spreading from one to all three net pens in Rich Passage and occurred while juvenile salmon were out-migrating through Rich Passage

• 2017 violations by Cooke Aquaculture that resulted in fines for unlawfully discharging polluting matter into state waters, pressure washing equipment, nets, and vehicles over the water and allowing wastewater to enter Puget Sound, changing boat engine oil over the water, failing to put safeguards in place to protect water quality, failing to correct water quality violations when directed

• 2019 partial failure of one of Cooke’s net pens located in the Orchard Rocks Conservation Area

We appreciate this support and dedication from the Bainbridge Island City Council and greater community to protect Puget Sound from harm by this industry. A special thank you to Commissioner Christy Carr for introducing this resolution.