US governor outlaws Cooke’s farms

THE US state of Washington has banned Atlantic salmon farming, after a bill was signed to phase out all sea pens by 2025.
State governor Jay Inslee put his signature on the legislation, as expected, today, spelling the end of US operations for Canadian company Cooke Aquaculture.
The move follows a campaign against Cooke’s Atlantic salmon farms, after a mass escape last summer when one of its Cyprus Island sites collapsed. An estimated 260,000 salmon were lost in Puget Sound, although Cooke disputes this number.
The governor also vetoed a section of the bill that said the legislature would ‘revisit the issue of marine finfish aquaculture once additional research becomes available’.
Scientists had asked for the legislation to be halted, and Cooke claims it has been discriminated against under the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Cooke spokesman Joel Richardson said: ‘While our company and our rural sea farming employees are deeply disappointed by the Governor’s decision to ignore the science and sign the bill, we will certainly respect the wishes of the legislature.
‘Our employees remain our top priority, and Cooke Aquaculture Pacific will continue to take the time we need to fully evaluate our operations and investments in Washington and explore all our available options.’
The company, headquartered in New Brunswick, paid more than $70 million for nine farms in 2016. The last of its leases expires in 2025.
Picture: The collapsed Cyprus Island farm