More info to the story.
https://www.knkx.org/environment/2022-12...en-fish-farming

I'm pretty sure the Tribes, at least those with treaties, will win. Especially if the reservation boundaries includes open waters.

It seems possible that this is just another way to push an industry completely into the control of tribal enterprises. Nothing changes, but one side gets all the potential income. Much like giving the tribes exclusive rights to sports gambling. It will be fun to see if any of the Tribes pushing for out lawing it start up operations in the near future.

Similar to the gh steelhead season. Save the wild steelhead, But we will still net and guide on the quin and queets. Picture painted pretty clear.

Wow,

So, the powers to be removed the last two salt water based net-pen fish rearing operations in Puget Sound. Making claims of local environmental clean up, no more disease spreading issues, and wild fish benefits / enhancement .

But this does not apply to the Columbia River’s numerous net pen operations ? No diseases or inadvertent fish releases heading out to sea ?

Must be the water...

The ones in the Columbia are, I believe , above Chief Joe, which totally blocks anadromous moms fish. Since salmon are all we (WDFW) care about, there is no problem with those pens.

Oddly enough, there should be the same concerns for disease, chemicals, waste, and uneaten food. But since there are no valuable fish in those reservoirs, who cares.

Maybe the fish in the next few impoundments below Chief Joe may care, with water flowing downhill and all. And if memory serves, fish diseases in fresh water , usually more difficult to deal with than those in the salt water environment...

The nutrients are captured shortly after leaving the pens. The reservoirs are nutrient deserts. As to bugs, they have to find a receptive host. Many of the bugs are rather species or stock specific.

For those with long memories, back in the late 80s VHS virus showed up in WA. Folks went bat**it crazy about this because in Europe VHSV was really deadly to Pacific salmon. So, WDF, the Feds, and Tribes sterilized a couple facilities and were even looking at nuking a whole watershed in order to ensure the bug was killed. The Atlantic Salmon net pens were loudly blamed for bringing it in.

Studies of the local bug found out that (1) it was actually endemic to the PNW, (2) it mostly attacked cod and herring, (3) it was not a problem for native salmonids, and (4) the Atlantics had nothing to do with it.

I worked for a number of years with the "big hunters" and basically we don't know what is out there because we don't actively look. We deal with local sites, local infections, and work to keep a facility healthy.