State Court Approves Steelhead Farming in Port Angeles

Company partnering with Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe for Port Angeles Harbor farm

by Leah Leach

Monday, January 17, 2022 1:30am

The Associated Press

SEATTLE — The state Supreme Court unanimously upheld permits that will allow Cooke Aquaculture Pacific to farm steelhead trout in net pens in Washington waters.

The decision on Thursday clears the permit hurdle for the international aquaculture giant to change its operations from farming Atlantic salmon to steelhead in Washington, The Seattle Times reported.

That’s good news for Cooke and the Jamestown S’Kllalam tribe, which in 2019 announced a joint venture with Cooke Aquaculture Pacific to rear all-female native steelhead trout in Port Angeles Harbor.

“The Tribe has two interwoven goals in everything we do — to be stewards of the environment in protecting the unique ecosystems of our homelands and the Salish Sea and continue to gather our treaty resources to fund programs and services for our tribal citizens,” W. Ron Allen, chairman of the tribe, said in a prepared statement.

“Aquaculture allows us to utilize best practices in protecting the environment while continuing our traditional industries growing and gathering marine-based resources,” he said.

Joel Richardson, vice president of public relations for Cooke, said the Supreme Court opinion “lays to rest the array of disinformation about marine aquaculture being irresponsibly circulated by activist groups.”

The state Legislature in 2018 phased out Atlantic salmon farming after a spill of about 263,000 nearly mature Atlantics from Cooke’s pens at Cyprus Island in 2017.

In response, Cooke is pivoting to farm steelhead, a native species, with fish altered in the hatchery to be sterile.

The Wild Fish Conservancy and other opponents to the permit had sued to block the change of fish species from Atlantic salmon to steelhead trout.

Opponents argued in King County Superior Court that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) had not adequately reviewed the permit under state administrative procedures or required adequate environmental review.

The opponents, who lost the case, wanted the court to overturn the permits and require an environmental-impact statement.

Click on link below to read more:

This is a Peninsula Daily News article and may be restricted with a paywall.

https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/state-supreme-court-oks-cooke-aquaculture-steelhead-farming/