Board of Natural Resources Ends Open Sea Net Pen Salmon Farms in Washington Waters

News Date:

January 9, 2025

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Washington's public aquatic lands will no longer be home to commercial finfish net pen aquaculture. The Washington State Board of Natural Resources Tuesday adopted a rule to prohibit commercial finfish net pen aquaculture on state-owned aquatic lands managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

The rule comes more than seven years after the collapse of a net pen array off Cypress Island released more than 250,000 Atlantic salmon into Puget Sound.

"The crisis of our Puget Sound and salmon and orca populations, calls for avoidance. Avoidance is our legal and moral responsibility. In the last two weeks, Talequah has lost another baby calf. It is a reminder of how fragile life is for our orcas and our salmon. But also how challenging it is for us," said Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz. "No one can say these facilities don't have an impact. They do. There's a cost to our agency, there's a cost to our waters and our bedlands, there's a cost to our salmon and our orcas. I don't believe that cost is worth it. Avoidance is absolutely our best solution."

The board's decision comes more than two years after Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz directed staff through a Commissioner's Order to initiate the rulemaking process. DNR staff then undertook an extensive and thorough review of the science surrounding open sea net pen salmon farming, as well as reviewing impacts from the farms previously on DNR-managed lands.

This rule only applies to commercial net pen fin fish aquaculture and does not apply to hatcheries that restore or boost native stocks.

Video of the Board of Natural Resources vote, as well as public testimony, is available online at tvw.org/video/washington-state-board-of-natural-resources-2025011001/?eventID=2025011001

Commercial finfish farming operated in marine net pens in Puget Sound for more than 40 years on aquatic lands leased from DNR. After identifying several violations of those leases, Commissioner Franz terminated the last leases for finfish net pen aquaculture facilities in November 2022. The last were removed in the spring of 2023.

Rule Garners Praise from Puget Sound Tribes, Conservation Groups

"The decision to end commercial net pen fish farms on state-owned aquatic lands protects both the considerable investment of funding and time that the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe has put into the restoration of salmon habitat and fish stocks in the Tribe's home waters, including the removal of two dams on the Elwha River, as well as the exercise of the Tribes treaty rights that depend on those fish," said Frances Charles, Chairwoman of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. "The Tribe raises its hands in appreciation to Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz for her tireless, unwavering leadership on this issue and to the Board for their decision today."

"The Suquamish Indian Tribe strongly supports DNR's rule adoption regarding marine net pens on public lands," said Leonard Forsman, Chairman of the Suquamish Tribe. "The Tribe concurs with the rule's limitations and the allowance for non-commercial finfish net pen operations that temporarily raise native finfish for eventual open water release. These delayed release operations are critical to salmon recovery and maintain Tribal treaty rights."

"I am grateful to Public Lands Commissioner Franz and the DNR Board of Natural Resources for permanently protecting our shared waters from the harmful effects of net pens. Our salmon, Orca and all of us dependent on a healthy Salish Sea for our cultural livelihood and recreational enjoyment will benefit for generations to come," said Swinomish Tribal Community Chairman Steve Edwards.

"This is a significant victory for protecting the Salish Sea and ensuring that our waters remain clean and healthy for future generations," said Lisa Wilson, Lummi Indian Business Council Member. "Banning net pens is not only a step toward environmental stewardship, but also a critical measure to uphold and respect the Treaty rights of all Tribes. The Lummi nation stands firm in our commitment to safeguarding our shared resources and cultural heritage."

"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Board for recognizing the concerns of the public and taking decisive action to safeguard Puget Sound. Their leadership reflects an understanding that the pollution and detrimental effects of this industry directly undermine public, tribal and government efforts to protect and restore wild salmon and starving orcas," said Emma Helverson, Executive Director of the Wild Fish Conservancy. "In particular, we would like to acknowledge Commissioner Franz and her team for leading this effort and making Washington the first place in the world to successfully remove and permanently ban commercial net pens, setting a significant precedent for communities worldwide."

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