WASHINGTON _ Leatherback sea turtles are likely to be "effectively extinct within 20 years" if two new federal permits for fishing off the coast of California go into effect, environmental groups claim in a new lawsuit.
In April, the Trump administration granted new two-year "exempted fishing permits" to two California-based vessels in what are currently protected waters.
This type of experimental permit is "the only way we can improve the fisheries," said Kathleen Fosmark, co-chair of the Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries.
