For those of you interested in fishery management issues, a copy of the
complaint filed today in federal court against new NMFS rules governing the
swordfish fishery appears on our website, www.environment-hawaii.org. The
complaint is available by clicking on the link featured on our EH-Xtra
column.
In short, regulations governing the fishery that were issued by NMFS on
December 10 allow the fishery unlimited effort — up until the point that
46 loggerhead turtles have been taken (or 17 leatherbacks).
The complaint alleges that the new rules violate not only the Endangered
Species Act, which protects the two species of turtle that interact with
the fishery, but also the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Migratory
Bird Treaty Act.
Plaintiffs are the Turtle Island Restoration network, Center for
biological Diversity, and KAHEA. They are represented by Paul Achitoff of
Earthjustice.
Patricia Tummons
