Oceana Wins Lawsuit, Court Requires Rebuilding of Collapsed US Pacific Sardine Fishery | Oceana

Victory | April 24, 2024

Oceana Wins Lawsuit, Court Requires Rebuilding of Collapsed US Pacific Sardine Fishery

Following a legal challenge by Oceana and Earthjustice, a United States Federal District Court ruled that the National Marine Fisheries Service failed to meet its legal obligation to rebuild the U.S. West Coast Pacific sardine population, which has been mismanaged for more than a decade and remains well below healthy population levels. The Fisheries Service must now develop a new rebuilding plan and environmental analysis that includes science-based catch limits to prevent overfishing and recover the species. Pacific sardines are an essential food for marine mammals, Chinook salmon, and other commercially important fish. Sardine collapse can have wide ranging impacts on coastal communities and ocean ecosystems, and in California, has led to sea lions starving and reproductive failure among brown pelicans. Oceana will continue to campaign to recover the sardine population and ensure the rebuilding plan is properly implemented and enforced.