The environmental case under review would block chinook fishing to protect orcas.
The Ninth Circuit Court ruled last week that fisheries trolling for king salmon in Alaska are allowed to continue operations while an environmental impact statement is ongoing.
An environmental group brought a lawsuit to Seattle’s District Court last month to prevent chinook salmon fishing, saying that these troll fisheries negatively impact killer whale populations by using one of their key food sources. District Judge Richard Jones sided with the environmentalists, but Alaskan fisheries appealed the case to the 9th Circuit Court.
The Circuit Court allowed a renewed biological impact statement to continue to be compiled but ruled that fishing should still be allowed to continue in the midst of that.
Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor said that the ruling “recognized the absurdity of closing down a vital economic industry for an issue that is already being remedied by the federal government.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For wisdom for judges in the appellate courts as they hear appeals to cases decided by district courts.
- For U.S. environmentalist advocates to be discerning in their attempts to protect wildlife.
- For the owners and workers of the fisheries as they seek to make a living and support the nation’s food supply.
Sources: Reuters, Alaska Sporting Journal
