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Environmental groups appeal lower court’s decision on Cooke Aquaculture’s net pen plan

 In this Aug. 28, 2017 photo provided by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, a crane and boats are anchored next to a collapsed net pen used by Cooke Aquaculture Pacific to farm Atlantic salmon near Cypress Island in Washington state.
David Bergvall/Washington State Department of Natural Resources
/
The Associated Press
In this Aug. 28, 2017 photo provided by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, a crane and boats are anchored next to a collapsed net pen used by Cooke Aquaculture Pacific to farm Atlantic salmon near Cypress Island in Washington state.

A controversial plan to raise domesticated steelhead in net pens in Puget Sound facesa new legal challenge.

Cooke Aquaculture wants to use its remaining leases with the state, despite the ban on net pen farming of non-native fish. So, it proposed switching from Atlantic salmon to sterilized native steelhead.

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife approved the plan, without requiring an environmental impact statement to analyze and mitigate any new risks. Several environmental groups challenged that decision, but a lower court upheld it, deferring to the expertise of the agency.

Kurt Beardslee with the Wild Fish Conservancy says now they’re taking it straight to the state Supreme Court, where he says the technical arguments will get more thorough evaluation.

“Because the courts are not scientists and it is really hard to get past them just relying on the management agencies throwing up their hands up and saying we need to defer to your opinions,” Beardslee said.

Cooke’s net pen collapse resulted in the release of more than 250,000 non-native Atlantic salmon into Puget Sound. The groups challenging their latest plan say a significant number of the sterile steelhead could still reproduce and pose risks to native salmon and orcas. 

“We just don't believe that Puget Sound and our wild salmon and killer whales should be put at a new risk without going through an environmental assessment," Beardslee said. "That’s all we’re asking for — to do a thorough environmental review of the potential impacts.” 

Cooke says it believes there is public support for its latest venture. In September 2019, it signed a partnershipagreement with the local Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, which sees it as a good way to diversify its economy and create jobs. The state Department of Ecology says about a third of some 600 comments it receivedon the proposal were supportive of Cooke’s proposal for a modified permit.

Bellamy Pailthorp covers the environment for KNKX with an emphasis on climate justice, human health and food sovereignty. She enjoys reporting about how we will power our future while maintaining healthy cultures and livable cities. Story tips can be sent to bpailthorp@knkx.org.