Cooke Aquaculture was in the process of obtaining state permits that would have allowed it to reposition its Cypress Island salmon farm to make it better able to withstand tides in the area.
On Aug. 19, that farm broke open, allowing more than 300,000 farmed salmon to escape into waters off Washington state, fueling concerns from green groups and government officials that the escaped farmed salmon could pose a threat to native Pacific salmon populations.
Cooke acquired the 30-year-old farm last year when it purchased Icicle Seafoods, former owners of the farm.
