Oregon is the only West Coast state that still allows commercial fish farming with net pens in ocean and estuary waters. Under a bill introduced to a House committee Wednesday, the practice would be prohibited.
FILE - In this photo provided by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, a crane and boats are anchored next to a collapsed "net pen" in Washington state on Aug. 28, 2017. This form of aquaculture is not presently practiced in Oregon, and now lawmakers are considering banning it in the state.
David Bergvall / AP
Environmental groups argue fish that are clustered together in net pens can release harmful waste, feed, disease and other pathogens to surrounding waters. Some opposing the legislation say it’s premature, and could stifle sustainable seafood production in the Pacific Northwest.
Rep. Mark Gamba, D-Milwaukie, is sponsoring House Bill 2965. He said the practice of net pens, which are large floating pens, or cages, can degrade aquatic ecosystems and harm native fish populations.
“Oregon is the only state on the West Coast lacking appropriate controls of net pens.” Gamba said at a House committee hearing Wednesday. “I’m concerned this may cause Oregon to become a magnet for an industry that is not known for being particularly careful.”
He pointed to a 2017 disaster when a net pen collapsed on the Puget Sound, releasing over 200,000 non-native Atlantic Salmon into the wild. That pushed Washington state policymakers to ban the practice there earlier this year.
Oregon does not have commercial fish farms that use net pens in its waters, an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson told OPB. That agency regulates aquaculture in the state. Aquaculture is basically farming in water, and it’s used for seaweed, shellfish, salmon and other fish.
Environmental groups say this legislation would only protect state waters from industry groups that raise farmed fish using net pens, it would not prohibit aquaculture entirely. And that instead, it would protect commercial and recreational fishing.
“This bill would only ban marine net pens because we know that these operations cause some of the worst impacts,” said Amy van Saun, a senior attorney with the Center for Food Safety Portland office.
But opposing groups say the legislation will prematurely stifle the industry before it even has a chance to develop. Oregon ranks well below its neighbors California and Washington in aquaculture seafood production.
Randy Bentz, the president of the Oregon Aquaculture Association, said the aquaculture industry is not even that big in the state to begin with.
“I believe this bill is unnecessary, in that it addresses a problem that doesn’t currently exist, and that it will harm future growth and innovation in this state,” he said.
Bentz said he is not opposed to regulation, but he opposes the government closing the door entirely to an industry that is still developing ways to more sustainably and safely farm fish in estuary and ocean waters, as demand for more seafood grows.
At least 10 other environmental and fish advocacy groups support the bill, including the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations – the largest commercial fishing trade association on the West Coast.
