The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) has received a notice of intent to sue from Wild Fish Conservancy over the management of sport and commercial salmon fisheries in the Alaska Peninsula, Chignik and Kodiak areas, alleging violations of the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The Washington-based conservation organization is the same group that sued to shut down Southeast Alaska troll fisheries and petitioned to list all Chinook stocks in the Gulf of Alaska as threatened or endangered under the ESA. The appeals court found that shutting down the fishery was not justified and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) determined that ESA listings were not warranted. Sweeping and broadly framed allegations appear again in their latest complaint.
Read full press release here.
"The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has a long history of successful salmon management guided by its commitment to sustainability and science-based decision-making. The Wild Fish Conservancy's latest legal attack against Alaska's fishing communities is just another example of its misguided efforts that are out of touch with what's happening in their own backyard. If the actual goal of this Washington-based environmental group was protecting salmon, then they would be focused on ensuring that Washington's salmon have a healthy home to return to rather than distracting under-funded and under-staffed state and federal agencies with endless litigation."