Friday, July 8, 2011

Lawsuit filed today against Board of Fisheries

A commercial fishing group today sued the state, but Deckboss hasn't yet seen the lawsuit and can't say for sure what it's about.

The "complaint for injunctive relief" was filed in Superior Court in Anchorage. A motion for a temporary restraining order also was filed.

The plaintiffs are listed as Stephen Vanek, Erik Huebsch, Ian Pitzman, United Cook Inlet Drift Association and Copper River Seafoods Inc.

Listed defendants include the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the state Board of Fisheries.

My presumption is the plaintiffs are suing because they're unhappy with the state's treatment of the commercial salmon sector in Cook Inlet.

As we all know, Cook Inlet long has been a battleground pitting commercial, sport, dipnet and subsistence users.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

since the state and territorial sport hunting and fish groups have forced the change from native only for substince fishing and hunting there has been a growing problem!we as a state do not have enough fish and game resources to feed the the rest of the country through the charter and sport unguided fihing and hunting tourism industry!we need to go back and change the rural or non rural guidelines for subsistence hunting and fishing to one based on income!if you are at poverty level income nobody should deny you the right to harvestfish and game for your own use.the proliferation of 150,000 dollar packman boats and fishing lodges in our villages have directly coencided with the rural and non rural designation for subsistince!

Anonymous said...

State management of Alaska salmon needs over-hauling big, big time all over the state. They are ignoring the subsistence priority over commercial interests. Their management style is damaging the future runs. Up here in the Norton Sound, they allow commercial fishing before the rivers meet the escapement goals. Then when the rivers have low returns, they zap the subsistence fishers.