Forest Service

Contact:  Maureen Clark 1-800-478-1456 or (907) 786-3953 ------ For Immediate Release: March 25, 2004

Requests for Federal Intervention in Area M Fishery

(Staff Report 15 April 2004)

ANCHORAGE -- The Federal Subsistence Board will hold a public meeting at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 27, at the Egan Civic and Convention Center in Anchorage to take public testimony on requests that the Federal government intervene in management of the Alaska Peninsula/Aleutian Islands (Area M) commercial salmon fisheries. If necessary, the meeting will continue on Wednesday, April 28.

Last month, the Alaska Board of Fisheries liberalized regulations for the Area M commercial salmon fisheries. Several of the 10 Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils are seeking Federal intervention, due to concerns that the State’s action may impact subsistence salmon fisheries in Western Alaska and the Bristol Bay region.

The Federal Subsistence Board does not have authority to regulate the harvest of fish and wildlife outside Federal jurisdiction.  However, the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture have the authority to extend Federal jurisdiction in order to protect a Federal interest. Such authority is rarely exercised. To do so would require proof that there has been a failure to provide rural Alaskans with a subsistence priority on Federal lands and waters and that activities occurring beyond Federal jurisdiction are the direct cause of that failure.

The Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture have asked that the Federal Subsistence Board make a recommendation on a response to these requests for intervention. The Board will meet in executive session at a later date to develop its recommendation and will consider testimony, written comments and a staff report addressing the concerns of the petitioners. A decision from the Secretaries is anticipated before the start of the June fishery.

Written comments must be received by April 23 to be included in the public meeting materials. Comments should focus on how changes in the Area M fishery would, or would not, affect the subsistence priority in Federal waters.

Comments can be faxed, mailed or delivered to the Office of Subsistence Management.  The fax number for the Office of Subsistence Management is 907-786-3898. The mailing address is:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Office of Subsistence Management
3601 C St., Suite 1030
Anchorage, AK 99503

Those wishing to testify at the meeting must sign up by noon, April 27. Public testimony will be limited to five minutes, but may be supplemented with written comments. For special accommodations, or an agenda, please contact Larry Buklis at least 72 hours prior to the meeting at (800) 478-1456 or (907) 786-3822.