The lawsuit says the state is violating Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act by allowing all Alaska residents, no matter where they live, to engage in subsistence fishing of king and chum salmon when there isn’t enough fish for all uses.
The heart of the problem remains the same: Federal law mandates that rural residents’ subsistence needs come first in times of scarcity. State law doesn’t allow a rural preference, the state Supreme Court decided in 1989.
When the Legislature would not change state law to conform to ANILCA in the 1990s, the U.S. government took over management of fishing on federal land and adjacent rivers. But it delegated much of that management to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.KYUK reporter Olivia Ebertz contributed to this story from Bethel.Alaska Public Media is our partner station in Anchorage. KTOO collaborates with partners across the state to cover important news and to share stories with our audiences.
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