Washington state Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz said Friday her department has had discussions with Canada's Cooke Aquaculture and others about transitioning from netpen finfish farming to land-based farming within the state.
"We’ve gone out to the Cookes and other companies that do work," she said, adding she has asked them about raising fish in "closed facilities" in Washington state on land to avoid infringing on tribal rights or harming wild-salmon habitats.
Franz revealed the talks as part of an executive order she announced Friday to ban all netpen finfish farming in Washington waters.
