Science and the law leads the way in regulating salmon net pens
By Cedar Bouta, shoreline environmental planner
Alevin (newly hatched salmon) with yolk sac. Photo: PNW Salmon Center. |
Our conversations about wild versus farmed salmon are passionate too.
That’s why the University of Washington’s Northwest Environmental Forum sponsored a March 22-23 gathering that brought together about 65 stakeholders with differing perspectives about commercial salmon farming in Washington. The forum was a success in bringing together parties who – although on opposite sides of lawsuits or with differing points of view – were willing to come, learn and listen.
The forum highlighted:
- The stakeholders’ shared commitment to a healthy marine environment, recovery of native salmon, and local jobs.
- A growing demand for seafood and the health benefits of eating more salmon.
- The complex oversight provided by local, state and federal permits and authorizations for commercial fish farms.
- A need for more sharing of science and other information about Washington’s existing fish farms.
The state of salmon in Washington
Many of the stakeholders represented at the March net pen forum have contributed to salmon recovery in Puget Sound and are working towards addressing urban runoff and other threats.
Feeding a seafood-hungry world
As committed as we are to our native salmon, forum participants learned that our hunger for seafood is growing and imported, farmed salmon is filling the gap. During the years 2000-2004, Americans consumed an average of about 284,000 metric tons (more than 617 million pounds) of salmon annually, of which approximately:One-third of salmon consumed was wild and two-thirds was farmed. One-third was domestic production (farmed and wild) and two-thirds was imported. |
From January 2015 through March 2016, over 27 million pounds of fresh and frozen Atlantic salmon were imported from other countries through the Port of Seattle. This was almost twice as much as the annual production of commercial salmon farms in Washington.
Forum participants also learned that salmon aquaculture is one of the most resource-efficient sources of ways to produce protein.
Science leads the way, learning more about net pens
Ecology regulates net pen operations, like this one in Port Angeles, through water quality permits and shoreline master programs. |
Ecology will continue to let science and the law lead the way – adapting our findings and requirements as needed. Working together, we and other stakeholders can ensure commercial net pens do not put wild salmon recovery at risk.
Learn more about Ecology’s role
with net pens on our website.
with net pens on our website.
2 comments:
Interesting how you neglected to mention the detrimental impacts of net pen farming. It's almost like you are encouraging it. I hope the readers educate themselves about the Chilean dieoffs, the lice outbreak in Norway and how it is more important to restore access to spawning habitat that is blocked by dams than spreading diseases to wild fish with farming hybrid salmon. But I gather you're more of a make it worse to make a buck oriented group. #Slowfish
It's unimaginable that Washington state would consider ocean-based salmon feedlots as a viable business given all the problems around planet earth with this filthy industry. Going forward with increasing Washington's Atlantic salmon is a slap in the face to those striving to restore Salish Sea orcas and wild salmon.
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