Aquaculture workers in Washington State are fighting against the recent ban on fish farms operating in the Puget Sound. The workers are demanding an investigation into what they call a “unilateral and unscientific decision” to shut down their farms. The NWAA is calling for Hilary Franz, Washington’s Commissioner of Public Lands, to visit their farms and explain the reasoning behind her decision. The workers hope that their campaign will result in a reversal of the ban and a restoration of their jobs.
A similar episode of political overreach happened in British Columbia, where Federal Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray ordered the phase-out of salmon farms in the contentious Discovery Islands. A coalition of aquaculture-dependent First Nations is now calling for the removal of Murray, saying that she can’t be “trusted” to make a thoughtful and unbiased plan in regard to the future of salmon farming in British Columbia.
Aquaculture Workers in Washington State Fight Back Against Fish Farm Ban
Aquaculture workers in Washington State are fighting against the recent ban on fish farms operating in the Puget Sound. The workers are demanding an investigation into what they call a “unilateral and unscientific decision” to shut down their farms. They are calling on legislators to show them the science that was used to issue the ban, and are asking Hilary Franz, Washington’s Commissioner of Public Lands, to visit their farms and explain the reasoning behind her decision.
Franz cancelled the leases of Canadian seafood farmer Cooke Aquaculture Pacific last November, which resulted in the ban of the State’s 40-year tradition of fish farming in Puget Sound. Cooke and the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, who are in partnership with Cooke to raise Steelhead, have filed legal challenges against the ban. The Washington State Supreme Court unanimously found the claims propagated by anti-fish farming activists, including Franz’s allies, to be without merit.
A broad range of US national, state, and species-specific trade associations, fisheries scientists, resource economists, and veterinary medicine professionals, have also expressed concern over the lack of peer-reviewed science and historical data that supports the ban.
The workers have released a video as part of a new campaign organised by the Northwest Aquaculture Alliance (NWAA), calling for Franz to act like a true leader and explain to farmers who lost their livelihoods what science was used to make this decision. Jeanne McKnight, NWAA Executive Director, said that “this unscientific ban on commercial net pens shows that Hilary Franz is playing politics with your dinner plate—at the expense of hard-working, dedicated people who have made the production of nutritious seafood their life-long career.”
In response, NWAA has launched a grass-roots advocacy campaign called www.stophilaryfranz.com, which appeals to Washington citizens to send a letter to state legislators requesting an examination of Franz’s actions. The workers hope that their campaign will result in a reversal of the ban and a restoration of their jobs.
Outrage at Washington State Commissioner’s Unscientific Ban on Fish Farms
Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands, Hilary Franz, has been criticized for ignoring peer-reviewed scientific studies and a unanimous Supreme Court decision that supports farming native steelhead in state waters. In a statement, the Northwest Aquaculture Alliance (NWAA) said that farmers across the state consider it shameful that Franz would “gloat over destroying an important food production sector and killing the jobs of Washington farmers.”
The ban on fish farms operating in Puget Sound has resulted in legal challenges from Canadian seafood farmer Cooke Aquaculture Pacific and the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, who are in partnership with Cooke to raise Steelhead. A broad range of US national, state, and species-specific trade associations, fisheries scientists, resource economists, and veterinary medicine professionals have also expressed concern over the lack of peer-reviewed science and historical data that supports the ban.
The NWAA is calling for an investigation into what they call a “unilateral and unscientific decision” to shut down the fish farms. The workers are asking for Franz to visit their farms and explain the reasoning behind her decision. The workers hope that their campaign will result in a reversal of the ban and a restoration of their jobs.
The Washington State ban mirrors a similar episode of political over-reach in British Columbia, where Federal Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray ordered the phase-out of salmon farms in the contentious Discovery Islands. Murray, a prominent advocate to end open-net salmon farming in British Columbia, also walked back on commitments to respect the rights of First Nations who want the aquaculture operations in their traditional territories. A coalition of aquaculture-dependent First Nations is now calling for the removal of Murray, saying that she can’t be “trusted” to make a thoughtful and unbiased plan in regard to the future of salmon farming in British Columbia.
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