Fine ending to Cypress Island fish farm disaster

It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature.

Having first blamed the sun and moon for the collapse of net pens at its fish farm off Cypress Island that allowed one quarter million Atlantic salmon to escape into area waters last August, Cooke Aquaculture was swept under by a recent State-led investigation and tidal wave of testimony in Olympia.

The state Department of Ecology announced last week it is fining Cooke $332,000 – a little more than a buck per escaped fish –for alleged poor cleaning and maintenance that led to the buildup of tons of mussels and other marine organisms deemed respo...