"Interior: Judge Lets FWS Shield Names Of Trophy Hunters"

"The Fish and Wildlife Service need not reveal the identities of hunting trophy permit holders, a federal judge has ruled.

In a victory for privacy-loving safari aficionados as well as the federal agency, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly on Thursday rejected Humane Society International's request for importer and exporter permit holder information under the Freedom of Information Act.

"These individuals have an interest in keeping their names from being disclosed to the public alongside the details of their private activity importing or exporting wildlife," Kelly wrote.

A Trump administration appointee, Kelly kept alive Humane Society International's FOIA lawsuit for the declared monetary value of the wildlife imports and exports, which the Fish and Wildlife Service currently withholds as confidential business information."

Michael Doyle reports for Greenwire August 19, 2019.

Source: Greenwire, 08/20/2019