Saving Seafood

Cooke appeals lease denial of Washington State rainbow trout farms

December 14, 2022 — The following was released by Cooke Aquaculture Inc:

On November 14, 2022, the Washington Department of Natural Resources (“DNR”) abruptly issued notices to Cooke Aquaculture Pacific, LLC (“Cooke”) that it would not be renewing two rainbow trout farming leases located at Rich Passage and Hope Island in Puget Sound. Furthermore, DNR arbitrarily and unreasonably demanded that Cooke harvest all fish and remove all farm equipment from the sites within 30 days. The lease application denials were the culmination of Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz’s five-year quest to “bury” Cooke and destroy aquaculture in Washington.

Just days later, Commissioner Franz again ignored science and legislative mandate by unilaterally implementing a politically self-serving executive action to ban commercial fish farming in the State of Washington.

Right after announcing the lease application denials and holding a press conference on the ban, Commissioner Franz pivoted to using the announcement to fundraise for her re-election campaign, a stinging insult to those employed by the aquaculture industry in the state who are now faced with losing jobs right before the holidays.

On November 23, 2022, DNR declined Cooke’s request for a reasonable amount of time to harvest fish and remove the equipment from the water. DNR arbitrarily agreed to give Cooke 31 additional days to harvest the fish and directed Cooke to remove all the equipment by April 14, 2023. Cooke has repeatedly explained to DNR why these deadlines pose a safety risk to its employees, risks to the environment, and the risk of financial loss in the form of destroyed crops. DNR has repeatedly and arbitrarily ignored these explanations.

DNR’s refusal to renew Cooke’s leases was punitive, arbitrary, and contrary to extensive scientific research completed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (“WDFW”), DNR’s sister agency that has primary responsibility to ensure the health of wild fish stocks in Washington. WDFW’s research concluded that farming of rainbow trout in Washington waters, as proposed by Cooke, would not have probable significant adverse impacts to the environment, and those conclusions were unanimously affirmed by the Washington Supreme Court in January of this year.

The decision is unjustified given the State Legislature’s confirmation that native species of fish can be farmed in Washington’s waters and the extensive work done by Cooke and multiple state agencies, including WDFW, to strengthen the regulatory framework governing marine farms. Cooke has enthusiastically worked collaboratively and transparently with regulatory agencies to identify areas of improvement and implement regulatory and monitoring processes to ensure that its operations meet and exceed the highest standards.

The Rich Passage and Hope Island farms have been present at the same locations for more than 40 years, with multiple lease renewals being granted by DNR to previous operators. Scientific studies and monitoring data have consistently shown that the Rich Passage and Hope Island fish farms do not have an adverse impact on the environment. The fish grown by Cooke are the exact strain of sterile rainbow trout used by WDFW to stock lakes and rivers throughout Washington.

The trout farms are an important part of domestic food production and are needed to curb a massive seafood deficit where 90% of seafood consumed in the United States is imported. Wild fish catches cannot meet the projected demand for seafood, and aquaculture is essential to preserving wild fisheries.

Given the deplorable actions of Commissioner Franz and DNR, Cooke has filed a complaint in the Superior Court of the State of Washington to appeal the lease renewal denial, to protect its employees, the environment, and its legal rights. Cooke is also seeking a preliminary injunction to secure a reasonable period of time to safely harvest the fish and remove the equipment remaining at the Rich Passage and Hope Island sites. Upon hearing the evidence and reviewing the files and records Cooke has asked the court to compel DNR and Commissioner Franz to produce, Cooke is confident that the court will conclude that DNR had no basis in law or science to deny the Rich Passage and Hope Island fish farm lease renewal applications.

‘Ignoring science’: Suit targets Washington fish farming ban, seeks stay for 300,000 trout

December 14, 2022 — Cooke Aquaculture on Wednesday morning filed a complaint in Washington State Superior Court to appeal the state’s decision to deny renewal of the Canada-based company’s fish farming permits for its Hope Island and Rich Passage farms.

In the 42-page complaint, Cooke also seeks a preliminary injunction to secure a reasonable period of time to safely harvest the 300,000 fish in the farms and remove the equipment at the sites.

The complaint is in response to the Nov. 14 announcement by the state that the last two remaining Puget Sound fish farming leases, held by Cooke, would not be renewed. Four days later, state Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz announced by executive order an end to net pen fish farming in state waters managed by the Department of Natural Resources.

Read the full article at The Center Square

Puget Sound fish farm shutdown at odds with Biden plan

November 17, 2022 — The Washington State Department of Natural Resources has prevailed in a years’ long effort to end fin fish farming in state-owned waters of Puget Sound, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz has announced.

However, the decision appears to be at odds with the Biden administration’s five-year plan, unveiled in October, to increase aquaculture in the United States.

Franz announced Nov. 14 that the last two fin-fish net pen leases, held by Cooke Aquaculture, will not be renewed by the state. The company is using its existing operations to raise steelhead trout.

Franz stated that the effort to terminate the leases began with lease violations by the lessee and noted the Cypress Island net pen collapse in 2017 which resulted in some 200,000 salmon escaping into the bay, according to a WDNR statement.

Read he full article at the Center Square

WASHINGTON: NFI, aquaculture groups demand independent review of Washington’s decision to cancel Cooke leases

November 16, 2022 — The National Fisheries Institute, the National Aquaculture Association, and the Northwest Aquaculture Alliance are calling for an independent review of a decision by the U.S. state of Washington to cancel two net-pen leases for steelhead farms operated by Cooke Aquaculture.

Washington’s Department of Natural Resources made the lease-cancelation announcement on 14 November, 2022, citing a determination the leases “continued operations posed risks of environmental harm to state-owned aquatic lands resulting from lack of adherence to lease provisions and increased costs to DNR associated with contract compliance, monitoring, and enforcement.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

PBS Newshour Highlights Innovations, Challenges in Salmon Farming Industry

August 29, 2022 — Last week, the PBS Newshour featured a segment on salmon farming, addressing the challenges and innovations that have accompanied the industry’s growth. Newshour science correspondent Miles O’Brien talked to salmon farming industry members about the state of the industry and improvements being implemented. As demand for seafood increases each year, aquaculture is likely to play a major role in keeping Americans well-fed and healthy.

Below is an excerpt from the transcript of the segment. Watch the full video here.

Miles O’Brien:

Off of Swan’s Island, we boarded the ship where they monitor and feed their crop of nearly a half-million salmon. They’re kept in 16 flexible floating nets made with stainless steel fiber to guard against escapes.

We watched as they fed some of the fish using a network of submerged cameras.

Andrew Lively, Cooke Aquaculture:

He’s seeing the fish, and there’s no feed coming down through the water column.

 Miles O’Brien:

The trick is releasing the feed at just the right rate. Too fast, and it falls to the bottom of the sea, impacting the bottom line. But it also can cause an environmental problem. As the feed decomposes, it generates nitrogen, as does the fish poop.

High nitrogen levels are a persistent problem for salmon farmers.

Do you feel like you have met those challenges?

Andrew Lively:

One of the big ways to deal with that challenge is proper site location and proper density. We’re in an area that gets about a 12-foot rise and fall of water twice a day, so lots of current, lots of freshwater going through here.

 Miles O’Brien:

Even at the perfect location, fish farmers must closely monitor a myriad of factors to keep their crops healthy. 

Farmed salmon are frequently beset with serious infestations of sea lice. To combat the problem, Cooke deploys custom designed boats equipped with warm freshwater showers to clean the fish. It’s an expensive solution that might soon have an unlikely replacement.

Marine biologist Steve Eddy is director of the Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research at the University of Maine.

These fish are lumpfish. Tell me about them.

 Steve Eddy:

So these are used as a cleaner fish to remove sea lice off of farmed salmon, a form of biological control.

 Miles O’Brien:

Researchers here believe one or two lumpfish per 10 salmon in a pen should be enough to delouse the whole school.

It takes about three years for a salmon to grow from egg to market. As complex and resource-intensive as aquaculture is, its sustainability compares favorably to some land-based agriculture.

Read the full transcript at PBS Newshour

COOKE AQUACULTURE INC. APPOINTS PHILIP WIESE AS MANAGING DIRECTOR OF EAST COAST AQUACULTURE OPERATIONS

July 14, 2022 — The following was released by Cooke Aquaculture Inc:

Blacks Harbour, N.B. – Cooke Aquaculture Inc. is very pleased to announce the appointment of Philip Wiese as Managing Director of East Coast Aquaculture Operations in Canada.

Mr. Wiese joins family-owned Cooke from his most recent leadership role as Chief Executive Officer at Huon Aquaculture Group Limited, Australia’s second largest, vertically integrated salmon farming company employing 800 Tasmanians.

Wiese brings significant aquaculture expertise to Cooke having successfully delivered for nearly 15 years with Huon including as Chief Financial Officer with responsibility for financial management, information technology, human resources and operations.

Over the course of his career, Wiese was Director of the Tasmania Salmon Growers Association where he led collaboration across the Tasmanian salmon industry and managed the Tasmanian salmon brand globally. He has held various senior commercial management roles in finance, insurance and trading in the manufacturing, distribution and retail business areas.

In response to significant global growth in recent years, Cooke has created the role of Managing Director of East Coast Aquaculture Operations to augment North American leadership and provide additional structure, ensuring the company’s long-term success while maintaining an employee-centric culture.

Reporting to Glenn Cooke, Chief Executive Officer, the Managing Director oversees and leads all operations of Cooke Aquaculture’s Atlantic Canadian organization by fostering the alignment of people and resources and championing operational excellence and sustainability by driving efficiency, financial performance and profitability, employee engagement and stakeholder relations.

Read the full release at Cooke Aquaculture Inc.

Cooke gets two wins, advancing Salish Fish steelhead project in Washington

March 1, 2022 — Cooke Aquaculture Pacific has won two victories allowing its plan to farm steelhead in the U.S. state of Washington to advance.

In a unanimous, 9-0 decision, the Washington Supreme Court upheld a decision by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to allow Cook to convert its idle Atlantic salmon net-pen farms to raise steelhead. The move was precipitated by Washington’s ban on farming of non-native species in its waters.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

Washington Supreme Court sides with Cooke, upholds fish-farm permit

January 14, 2022 — The Washington Supreme Court has sided with Cooke Aquaculture in a unanimous 9-0 ruling that upholds the company’s fish farming permits in the state.

The lawsuit has its origins in a five-year permit that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) granted to Cooke in January 2020, allowing the company to farm steelhead trout in Puget Sound and the Salish Sea. Soon after the permit was granted, a consortium of conservation and environmental groups including the Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) filed a lawsuit challenging the permit, claiming the department was allowing the farms without fulling considering what the impacts would be on water quality in the surrounding areas.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

MAINE: Authorities Investigating Mass Salmon Die-Off At Down East Aquaculture Operation

August 30, 2021 — An investigation is underway into what caused a mass die-off of salmon at a Cooke Aquaculture operation Down East.

In a statement, Cooke Aquaculture spokesperson Joel Richardson writes that “uncommonly low oxygen levels in the cages” are being blamed for the fish die-off, and that the company is “completing the safe removal of mortalities that have occurred” at salmon farm sites off Black Island, near Frenchboro.

New Brunswick-based Cooke Aquaculture was cited in 2019 by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection after multiple violations were found at net pen sites in Hancock and Washington counties. The company agreed to pay more than $150,000 as part of the case resolution.

The violations included overcrowding of fish pens. The company was also cited for failing to conduct environmental sampling or submit reports on schedule.

Read the full story at Maine Public

Cooke reveals interest in Huon, setting up fight with JBS

August 19, 2021 — Cooke Aquaculture has confirmed its interest in purchasing Tasmania, Australia-based salmon-farming firm Huon Aquaculture, in the midst of a takeover bid from Brazilian meat processing giant JBS.

However, JBS has run into difficulty in the form of activist investor Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest, who has used his minority interest in Huon to push for increased environmental standards. In response, JBS issued a parallel bid for control of the company that seeks a 50.1 percent minimum acceptance condition. In a notice filed with the Australian Stock Exchange on 17 August, Huon announced JBS had upped its ownership to 40.53 percent of the voting power of the company.

Read the full story at Seafood Source