Source: Tri-City Herald Editorial Board, Feb 16, 2020
If state lawmakers truly care about helping our beloved orcas thrive, then they will find a way to support a study that would boost hatchery fish production in Puget Sound.
Sen. Ann Rivers, R- La Center, told the Tri-City Herald that “where there’s a will, there’s a way,” and she has not given up on her bill, which could lead to the launching of a pilot fish hatchery project at the Port of Bellingham.
Called the Salmon Repopulation Act, Senate Bill 6509 and House Bill 2741 both stalled after being introduced in legislative committees. However, Rivers said Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig still could bring the proposal to the floor for a vote.
Rivers said “dead” bills in Olympia can be revived if there is a political will to do so. She hopes that will be the case for this proposal because the orcas are running out of time, and she believes this legislation is the best chance they have.