Will a Supreme Court decision in fisheries case tie the hands of all government regulators?
Monday, May 22, 2023 - 16:32
in Earth & Climate
Fishing for Atlantic herring may seem worlds away from restrictions on power plant emissions or responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. But a case before the U.S. Supreme Court could affect all those activities and more by altering how federal agencies apply scientific expertise in carrying out their regulatory duties. On 1 May the high court agreed to hear a case brought by four family-owned herring businesses. They argue that the National Marine Fisheries Service has no authority to require them to pay for onboard observers who would monitor their catch to help the agency protect declining fish stocks. But legal scholars and environmentalists say much more than fishing is at stake in Loper Bright Enterprises v. ...