Two environmental organizations have filed a 60-day notice of intent to sue the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) if the agency does not list Atlantic white marlin as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The notice, filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and the Turtle Island Restoration Network, follows NMFS’s decision last year not to list white marlin under the ESA. The groups claim that the decision was arbitrary and capricious, and violates the ESA and the Administrative Procedure Act. Under the language of the ESA, if white marlin are listed as threatened or endangered and critical habitat is established for the species, NMFS would have the discretion to prohibit sport fishing for white marlin by regulation – even catch and release. Such a listing could also affect sport fishermen targeting other species such as blue marlin, bigeye and yellowfin tuna, because those species often share the habitat of white marlin. For more information, visit the RFA website at www.savefish.com or call (888) 564-6732.
