September 24, 2026 — The U.S. state of North Carolina is appealing a court ruling that found evidence “overwhelmingly” shows the state’s government failed to protect coastal fisheries.
North Carolina Attorney General Marc Bernstein filed notice of the state’s intent to appeal on 16 September, roughly a month after Judge Bryan Collins of the Wake County Superior Court determined the evidence presented in court showed the state “failed to meet its ‘obligation to manage and protect fisheries for the benefit of the general public’ as required under the public-trust doctrine.”