Cooke's plans to continue operating in Washington state are running up against opposition from the public and NGOs, who were not prepared for Cooke's suggestion to switch species.

Washington residents are being given more time to comment on Cooke's plans to harvest trout at some of its former salmon-filled Puget Sound sites "due to feedback from stakeholders and constituents requesting extra time to review the documentation and provide comments," state officials confirmed with IntraFish.