5-1-2019
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — In an effort to support the ailing southern resident killer whale population, Bellingham’s Community Food Co-op says it’ll stop selling Chinook salmon.
General manager of the store Adrienne Renz told KIRO 7 they decided to opt out of purchasing local Chinook salmon this season after presentations from the Lummi Nation and discussion with the community and local fishers.
The fish is the primary food source for Salish Sea orcas and the EPA reports their population is down by 60% since they began tracking the data in 1984.
The Community Food Co-op is the latest of several businesses in the region that have recently decided to stop selling locally-caught Chinook salmon.