Oceana Sues NMFS for Failure to Protect Coral in Gulf of Alaska’s Seafloor Habitats
The conservation group Oceana filed a lawsuit last Monday against the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for failing to meet its obligations under the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to include Gulf of Alaska coral and sponge habitats in their recently updated 2023 Essential Fish Habitat five year review. Oceana asserts that coral and sponge habitat are impacted by bottom trawl gear fishing for groundfish in the area, and the Council and NMFS are...
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