An environmental group sued the Trump administration Monday to pursue protections for a brightly colored sea star that inhabits the Pacific coast, a move that could affect the fishing industry.
The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit against NOAA Fisheries over alleged lack of protections for sunflower sea stars, whose population has shrunk significantly from a wasting disease that may be linked to human-caused climate change.
Though NOAA Fisheries proposed to list the sea stars as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2023 after an earlier petition from the same environmental group, the agency did not finalize its decision within the required time frame of one year.
“These incredible many-armed sea stars have taken a huge hit from climate change and obviously need protection, but for years federal officials haven’t acted,” said Miyoko Sakashita, oceans program director at the center, in a statement. “We need to jump in and do everything we can to save these gorgeous sea stars.”
