US Agrees to Pay $375K in Legal Fees to Conservation Groups

The U.S. will pay conservation groups Sea Shepherd New Zealand and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society $375,000 in attorney's fees related to their case on an import ban on fish from New Zealand's West Coast North Island inshore trawl and set net fisheries under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (Sea Shepherd New Zealand v. U.S., CIT # 20-00112).

The groups voluntarily dismissed the case after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued new comparability findings for the fisheries, which said they have a comparable level of environmental protections to what the U.S. has (see 2408260009). As a result of the new findings, the trade court lifted the injunction it imposed on the import of fish from the fisheries, though the court said a new suit challenging the comparability findings could be brought.

After prompting from the court, the parties filed the details of their settlement, which includes a $375,000 sum to Earthrise Law Center -- the entity representing the conservation groups. Earthrise and Sea Shepherd will waive all claims for attorney fees. The trade court set a status conference on the end of the case to be held Sept. 10.