Gov Jay Inslee Bans In-ocean Fish Farms - A Great Victory for the Public and the Environment

On Thursday, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed HB2957 into law, an act that will effectively ban the practice of open-water Atlantic salmon aquaculture in the state of Washington. The Our Sound, Our Salmon coalition sincerely thanks Governor Inslee and the Washington State Legislature for their bold and prudent efforts to protect Washington’s public waters from the threat posed by Atlantic salmon net pens, an industry that has been allowed to recklessly endanger the ecological health of Puget Sound for far too long.

Read more at oursound-oursalmon.org

There is very little doubt that public support was the primary motivating factor behind the passage of HB2957. This year lawmakers expressed that they heard more from their constituents on the Atlantic salmon net pen issue than any other, and many members of both the House and Senate changed their stance on the issue over the course of the session, having considered the concerns of their constituents.  We find it heartening that a measure to protect wild fish, marine mammals, and coastal communities was passed in large part due to the outspoken voices of concerned citizens, the very citizens to which our public waters belong. Thank you.   Now is the time for BC to join its neighbours and put fish farms on land. BC is now the only jurisdiction on the entire North American Pacific Coast that allows in-ocean fish farms. It is time for a change. BC and WA aboriginals, Lummi, Ernest Alfred have joined forces to push  for change in BC. Our Sound Our Salmon goes on to say:  "There is very little doubt that public support was the primary motivating factor behind the passage of HB2957. This year lawmakers expressed that they heard more from their constituents on the Atlantic salmon net pen issue than any other, and many members of both the House and Senate changed their stance on the issue over the course of the session, having considered the concerns of their constituents." So send your comments to your MLA in BC, as well as: John Horgan (premier@gov.bc.ca); Andrew Weaver (andrew.weaver.mla@leg.bc.ca); Lana Popham, Minister (AGR.Minister@gov.bc.ca); Adam Olsen – BC Greens <info@bcgreens.ca>; 'Furstenau.MLA, Sonia' <Sonia.Furstenau.MLA@leg.bc.ca>. We can get fish farms out of our waters, too, and set up on land.