Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) agreed to a settlement resolving a lawsuit to compel NMFS to make a 12-month finding on whether listing of the smalltail shark as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act is warranted. CBD filed the lawsuit—in which CBD alleged that the species is threatened by climate change, overfishing, and other factors— in February 2025, more than two years after it submitted a listing petition and almost two years after NMFS issued a 90-day finding that listing “may be warranted.” In the settlement agreement, NMFS agreed to submit to the Office of the Federal Register by August 12, 2026 a 12-month finding as to whether listing is not warranted, warranted, or warranted but precluded by other pending proposals.

Endangered Species Act lawsuit to compel a 12-month finding on a petition to list the smalltail shark.

Center for Biological Diversity v. National Marine Fisheries Service

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Federal Government Agreed to Make Determination Regarding Whether Smalltail Shark Is Endangered or Threatened

Filed

United States of America

Maryland

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Federal Government Agreed to Make Determination Regarding Whether Smalltail Shark Is Endangered or Threatened

Economic sector

Finance