Activists sue federal government for images of dead orcas entangled by fishing boats

Activists have sued the federal government to release images of dead orca whales and other marine mammals entangled by commercial fishing boats off the U.S. West Coast. The complaints filed in Alaska and California on Thursday come after the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration failed to fulfill multiple Freedom of Information Act requests filed by Oceana. The Washington-based conservation group sought the images as part of its campaign to raise public awareness about the harmful effects of trawl fishing in federally managed waters. Oceana has long campaigned for tighter controls of trawl fishing, which involves large boats dragging enormous nets on or near the ocean floor.