Fish farming, which is also known as aquaculture, involves the breeding, raising and harvesting of fish in a controlled marine environment, rather than in the wild. With numerous bodies of water available, fish farming does well in the coastal state of Washington.
Atlantic and coho are the two types of salmon that are farmed in Washington State, according to the Washington Fish Growers Association. Other fish species that are farmed are steelhead, trout and Arctic char.
An important aspect of fish farming in Washington State is the production of fish eggs. According to the Washington Fish Growers Association, "Production of salmon and trout eggs is the second largest source of income for Washington finfish farmers after meat fish."
Most of the commercial fish farms are located in three main areas: around Puget Sound, near Port Angeles in the Straits of Juan de Fuca, and the Columbia River below Grand Coulee Dam.
Washington State is famous for salmon, but the majority has been wild-caught rather than farmed. American Gold Seafoods was the only salmon farm in Washington until early 2010, when SweetSpring began limited salmon production for the market.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, aquaculture was number 15 on the list of agricultural commodities produced by Washington State in 2007. The total value of fish production was over $87 million.
