A federal appeals court decided Wednesday that marine mammals have no standing to sue to stop the U.S. Navy from using sonar.
| "Yer honor, as my next witness, I call Monstro..." |
In upholding a lower court decision, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said the world's cetaceans — whales, porpoises and dolphins — have no standing under the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act or the National Environmental Policy Act. If lawmakers "intended to take the extraordinary step of authorizing animals as well as people and legal entities to sue, they could, and should, have said so plainly," said Judge William A. Fletcher, writing for the panel...
| That's the way courts, even the 9th Court of Appeals, sez "Are you outta yer mind?" |
"Obviously, I'm very disappointed, particularly on behalf of the cetaceans," Sinkin said. "This decision is a missed opportunity for truly protecting endangered species and an opportunity for extending human stewardship on the planet."
Still no comment from his client a Mr. WhEEEE-KK-Kkzzkk-t-Bzzzz-(pop) |