Second Circuit holds wild fish are not ‘property’ under False Claims Act

The Second Circuit ruled that wild fish are not 'property' under the False Claims Act, dismissing a $2 billion lawsuit against Cooke Seafood and Omega Protein. The case alleged the companies used a sham company to illegally harvest fish in U.S. waters, but the court affirmed that the government's regulatory authority over wild fish does not equate to ownership.