Hawaii Supreme Court Upholds West Hawaii Fishery Environmental Impact Statement

(PRESS RELEASE) ALEXANDRIA, VA — The Pet Advocacy Network reacted to a victory at the Hawaii Supreme Court, which ruled 4-1 in favor of an Environmental Impact Statement submitted in 2021 that supports sustainable, permitted fish collection off of West Hawaii. The fishery has been under attack from the San Francisco-based Earthjustice and other activists for several years, who have repeatedly filed frivolous litigation in an attempt to shut down the fishery–harming local small businesses that collect live fish for home aquariums.

In response to the ruling, Bob Likins, chief operating officer of the Pet Advocacy Network, remarked: “The Hawaii Supreme Court’s ruling makes it very clear that they carefully examined both the relevant case law and the contents of the EIS itself, and that they found our document and our arguments had merit. We appreciate their detailed and dispassionate ruling and look forward to having the fishers return to the water in the near future.”

With the court’s validation of the adequacy of the EIS the Pet Advocacy Network looks forward to supporting the fishers who have done so much to defend their livelihoods as they work through the licensing process with the state of Hawaii.

A copy of the ruling is available here. (Note: The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) is the former name for the Pet Advocacy Network.)

About the Pet Advocacy Network

The Pet Advocacy Network connects the experience and expertise of the responsible pet care community to lawmakers and governing bodies, advocating for legislative and regulatory priorities at the local, state, federal and international levels. Since 1971, the organization has worked to promote animal well-being and responsible pet ownership, foster environmental stewardship, and ensure access to healthy pets, including small animals, cats, dogs, fish, reptiles, and birds. Pet Advocacy Network members include retailers, companion animal suppliers, manufacturers, wholesale distributors, manufacturers’ representatives, pet hobbyists, and other trade organizations. To learn more, visit www.PetAdvocacy.org.

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