Why are Atlantic salmon being farmed in the Northwest?

Earlier this month, a net pen broke apart near Washington state’s Cypress Island. The pen held 305,000 Atlantic salmon, a non-native fish.
The company that owns the pen, Cooke Aquaculture, says it is unsure exactly how many Atlantic salmon escaped, but the state estimates between 4,000 and 185,700. Cooke and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife are trying to collect and count the fish that did not escape to get a better handle on how many broke out of the pen.
The company initial