Friends of Animals, et al. v. Fish and Wildlife Service

Should the phrase “when used for scientific purposes, for propagation or for museums,” as set forth in the Convention between the United States of America and the United Mexican States for the Protection of Migratory Birds and Game Mammals, be interpreted as a single set of exemptions allowing the take of a protected migratory bird only where such take could further an understanding of, or directly contribute to, the conservation of the bird or its species, or, as the government contends, should the term be construed as three broad exceptions to the protections afforded by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act?

Did the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service violate the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and its underlying Conventions by issuing to itself a scientific collecting permit authorizing the shooting of 1,600 barred owls to assess the effects of their removal on northern spotted owl site occupancy, reproduction and/or survival?