Court Upholds Protections for Steller Sea Lions in the Aleutian Islands - Oceana

Victory | September 19, 2013

Court Upholds Protections for Steller Sea Lions in the Aleutian Islands

On July 23, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld necessary protections for the endangered western population of Steller sea lions. The measures were put in place by the National Marine Fisheries Service in 2010 to reduce competition between large-scale commercial fisheries and endangered Steller sea lions. This population of sea lions has declined by more than 80 percent, and sharp declines continue in places with limited protection, like western Aleutian Islands. Oceana and Greenpeace, represented by Earthjustice, joined the federal government in successfully defending the regulations against legal attacks from the Seattle-based fishing industry and Alaskan state government. This victory will help ensure the recovery of this species and the continued health of our ocean’s ecosystems.