Washington Kills Fish Farms Updated Feb 14, 2018

Good news everyone. Washington State has passed legislation to phase out fish farms. See bill: SB 6086 - 2017-18 at: http://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6086&Year=2017.

This means that every Pacific coast jurisdiction in North America, other than BC, either has no fish farms or expressly forbids them, meaning, California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska. That means the pressure is all on BC, and the government of BC has said it will be putting fish farms on land. That means the pressure is on the federal government to stop wasting our Canadian oceans and get with the program.

Here is the digest of the second amended bill:

"SB 6086-S2 - DIGEST(DIGEST OF PROPOSED 2ND SUBSTITUTE)

Prohibits the department of natural resources fromentering into a new lease, renewing or extending an existing lease, or other use authorization where the use includes marine finfish aquaculture of Atlantic salmon. 

Requires the department of fish and wildlife and the department of ecology to only authorize or permit marine finfish aquaculture of Atlantic salmon where it is an authorized use under a lease of state-owned aquatic lands.

Prohibits the department of fish and wildlife and the department of ecology, for marine finfish aquaculture of Atlantic salmon, from authorizing or permitting any of the activities or operations after the expiration date of the relevant lease of state-owned aquatic lands.

Requires the department of ecology, the department of natural resources, and the department of fish and wildlife to continue the existing effort to update guidance and informational resources to industry and governments for planning and permitting commercial marine net pen aquaculture."

And the Governor, Jay Inslee, will sign the legislation into law. View the video:  https://www.tvw.org/watch/?eventID=2018021051.

Inslee had this to say:  

"I'm announcing today that it is no longer acceptable for the people of the State of Washington to expose our waters to the threats posed by nonnative Atlantic salmon in net pens. We need to transition and phase out the leases that now exist, because this is a risk that is intolerable and not acceptable."

-Governor Jay Inslee

And here is Cooke saying it will fight on, as in the closure is political and only science will show the farms should continue, WA not having competent people in its point of view. Note that Cooke claims its 180 jobs make a difference in an area with 3.8 million people. Wake up Cooke and update your spin: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/cooke-aquaculture-atlantic-salmon-escapes-investigation-washington-state-1.4528775.

Here is another article on WA closing fish farms: https://www.fishfarmingexpert.com/news/us-state-governor-backs-bid-to-outlaw-salmon-farms/.