The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) is celebrating a victory resulting from its lawsuit forcing the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service to implement a Marine Reserve Zone in Biscayne National Park to protect the underwater ecosystem. The court found that the DOI and NPS had failed to implement the zone, despite committing to the plan nine years ago.
“Thanks to this ruling, national park advocates have a chance to restore this beautiful marine national park to its former glory,” said NPCA Sun Coast Regional Director Dr. Melissa Abdo.
However, a separate NPCA lawsuit trying to end commercial fishing in the Florida park did not succeed, despite the NPS stating back in 2014 that it would start phasing out the practice. The NPCA has expressed concern that some marine species are on the brink of collapse in Biscayne, blaming overfishing as one of the root causes.
