Fishing Groups File Lawsuit Challenging Federal Protections for Steller Sea Lions

摘要

A coalition of commercial fishing organizations and individual fishing companies is suing the NOAA Fisheries Service to overturn harvest restrictions put into effect to protect endangered Steller sea lions in the central and western Aleutian Islands (Alaska Seafood Cooperative v. National Marine Fisheries Service, D.Alaska, No. 3:11-cv-1, 1/5/11). Filed Jan. 5 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, the lawsuit alleges that the agency, formerly called the National Marine Fisheries Service, failed to consider the impacts of its actions to small communities and small businesses, among other things. The lawsuit was brought by the Alaska Seafood Cooperative, the Groundfish Forum, the Alaska Groundfish Cooperative, and several companies representing commercial vessels.