Another block by the courts

U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner late Friday ruled that the federal government “exceeded its authority” when it withdrew a rule in June 2017 that initially suspended the use of swordfish gillnets off the coast of Southern California if any bycatch limits were exceeded.

The previous proposal had fisherman place numerical limits on the accidental catches of bottlenose dolphins, four species of whales and four species of sea turtles that are frequently caught in gillnets. If those limits were exceeded, the fisheries were then mandated to cease use of the technique altogether.

The judge’s ruling sends the proposal back to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and orders the agency under the Commerce Department to either finalize the rule as proposed or consult with the Pacific Fishery Management Council on any revisions.

The rule was initially endorsed by the council in 2015 and formally proposed for implementation by the NMFS in 2016. It was expected to gain final approval as a federal regulation until the Trump administration intervened.

  The Hill

Trump will be eager to replace Judge Klausner.

Drift nets are frequently linked to the deaths of sea turtles and marine mammals, including whales and sea lions. Fishermen use them by hanging the nets like walls above the seafloor. They often indiscriminately catch whatever flows into them.

“Any fishery that throws away more than it keeps needs to change, especially a fishery that is killing some of the world’s most remarkable — and most endangered — marine species,” said Geoff Shester, senior scientist for Oceana, in a statement Friday.

Trump, with the backing of his supporters, will also be eager to deport - or "lock up" - scientists once he's enshrined as emperor. ...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.