April 14, 2026 — The Aleutians East Borough, the Native Village of Unga and two Aleutian fishing groups are asking a state court to void fishing regulations adopted at a February state Board of Fisheries meeting.
The lawsuit, filed in the Alaska Superior Court last week, asks to overturn five regulations for the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian commercial salmon fishery known as Area M. The borough is leading the lawsuit alongside the Native Village of Unga — a federally recognized tribe based in Sand Point — the nonprofit Concerned Area M Fishermen, which represents permit holders for the fishery, and the Area M Seiners Association — another nonprofit representing commercial harvesters in the region.
The plaintiffs say the new regulations would cause them significant financial and emotional harm, impacting the local communities that rely on fish tax revenue from the fishery.