Seeking to protect a substantial chunk of its revenue, the Ventura Port District has signed on to fight an advocacy group's efforts to strengthen new federal rules it argues will do too little to curtail overfishing.
The advocacy group Oceana Inc. sued several federal agencies in December, including the National Marine Fisheries Service. Oceana alleges that late last year, the agency failed in its mandate to prevent overfishing when it approved Amendment 13 to the Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan for fisheries off the California, Oregon and Washington coasts.
Amendment 13 adjusted the fisheries management plan in an effort to prevent overfishing. But Oceana argues the amendment is flawed, fails to account for scientific uncertainty in setting management measures, and will threaten populations of squid, sardines, anchovies, Pacific and jack mackerel, krill and other forage species, which marine mammals, sea birds, halibut and other species consume.
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