CITIZEN GROUPS SUE HONOLULU-BASED FEDERAL ENTITY
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WESPAC) is one of eight regional councils established under the U.S. Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management and Recovery Act to manage our nation’s offshore marine resources. WESPAC remains under at least two active federal investigations for the misuse of federal funds for political lobbying and possible conflicts of interest charges. The following article announces the lawsuit filed to gain access to documents requested by three Hawai`i-based conservation organizations (the plaintiffs) in a November 14, 2007, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request submitted to WESPAC seeking basic budget, grant, and contract information. The requests have to date been stonewalled by the federal entity.