May 27, 2026 — The Alaska Department of Law has voided regulations aimed at restricting the Area M commercial salmon fishery.
The regulations were passed by the state Board of Fisheries in February, and quickly challenged in a lawsuit filed by the Aleutians East Borough, the Native Village of Unga, and two commercial fishing groups. They argued the regulations couldn’t be enforced because the Board of Fisheries violated state ethics laws while adopting them.
The groups dropped the lawsuit Wednesday after the state revoked the new rules, with both sides agreeing to end the case.
Area M has long been at the center of a fight over salmon conservation in Western Alaska, where low chum and Chinook returns have led to major restrictions on subsistence fishing.