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| Dear Friend, |
| We’re going to court to protect Alaska’s coral habitats from the damaging impacts of trawling. |
| Trawling is the single greatest threat to habitat forming corals and other living seafloor habitats. Trawl nets can be hundreds of feet wide and a mile long; they are dragged as far as 15 miles along the seafloor during a single tow, gouging the ocean floor and destroying the corals, sponges, and entire marine habitats. |
| In 2023 when our client, Oceana, submitted a science-backed proposal to protect 90% of the Gulf of Alaska from bottom trawling, we hoped the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) would follow the law and the science. But it ignored both, offering zero conservation recommendations for the entire Gulf. |
| So, with your support, we filed a lawsuit to establish limits on trawling and protect the Gulf of Alaska’s vital coral habitats. |
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| The NMFS’s refusal to even consider protecting sensitive seafloor habitat from destructive trawling is astounding: it is bad science, bad for the long-term health of fish populations, and bad for thousands of corals, sponges, octopi, fish, crabs, and other marine species that dwell on the seafloor. As such, it is in violation of the Magnuson Stevens Marine Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). |
| Oceana’s proposal is not only good for ecosystems, it is also important for the long-term health of fishing industries. It continues to allow trawling in roughly 10% of the Gulf, and protects the remaining 90% to allow seafloor ecosystems to flourish, improving the regeneration of fish populations crucial to fishing industries and coastal communities. |
| Oceans at the poles are feeling the effects of global warming more intensely than other oceans, and the coral habitats and fish populations in the Gulf of Alaska are already suffering these harmful effects. In an accelerating climate crisis, we cannot afford to drag wrecking balls through vital seafloor habitats. |
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| Oceana is the largest ocean conservation organization in the world. Their scientists are world renowned experts, and their proposals are extensively researched, backed with the latest data, and balance the value of fishing industries with the longevity of marine ecosystems. |
| But sometimes, the government doesn’t listen to scientists. When that happens, scientists call the lawyers at Earthjustice, and we sue the government to make sure scientists are heard. |
| Earthjustice serves a unique role as the largest nonprofit environmental law organization in the country. We have represented thousands of environmental groups in court — free of charge — and function as the legal backbone of the environmental movement. Our supporters understand how critical this role is, and that Earthjustice needs to grow to continue serving a growing environmental movement in this time of crisis. |
| Today, I’m asking you to help us grow to meet the needs of the environmental crisis by making your first gift to Earthjustice today — of whatever you can contribute. Thank you. |
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| Thank you for your ongoing partnership. |
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With gratitude,
Kate Glover
Earthjustice Senior Attorney,
Alaska Office |
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