New Steelhead Farm in Puget Sound

In late January, Cooke Aquaculture was granted approval from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to begin farming steelhead in Puget Sound, per the Seattle Times. Cooke is the same company that was fined over $330,000 in 2017 after some of their Atlantic salmon escaped into Puget Sound, creating an ecological disaster in introducing a potentially fertile population of nonnative salmon into the already troubled waters in the Pacific Northwest.

Reporter Evan Bush does a good job giving both sides of this debate, including those who are for and against the new effort to farm steelhead. This issue is more complex than simply debating the ethics of raising critically endangered fish for slaughter. Take the time to read up on this issue.