Folks have been inquiring regarding the injunction FNW sought in our most recent lawsuit. This suit mostly pertains to NMFS knowingly allowing the overharvest of multiple ESA-listed stocks of salmon. This irresponsible policy not only puts the overall recovery of Puget Sound salmon at immediate risk but triggers massive cuts in recreational mark-selective (hatchery fish only) seasons to compensate for this ongoing blunder. The injunction will be delayed as we re-file it using the 2021 NMFS Biological Opinion. It was previously filed referencing the 2020 BiOp as that was the only one available at the time. The judge’s recent actions to strike the injunction on this basis do not pertain to the merit of the case and are procedural only. However, this action will result in the injunction not being ruled on until the fall. Predictably the defendants are trying to have the suit dismissed based largely on procedural complaints, a common tactic in litigation, but one that exposes the fact that FNW has a credible and worthy case which they do not want to address. In their recent motions and responses, the defendants are doing everything they can to not address the merits of the case as none of their arguments directly challenge the underlying science and or weaken the foundation of FNW’s suit. On the contrary, delay tactics and procedural challenges only expose their unwillingness to address the core of our augments and the merits of our case. We will keep you up-to-date as things progress.

Brett Rosson

President, Fish Northwest