April 22, 2026 — Access to commercial fishing looks a lot different in Metlakatla compared to other coastal Alaska Native communities.
At the southern tip of the Panhandle on Annette Island, Metlakatla sits on the state’s only Native reservation. Because of that, tribal members have the exclusive right to fish in a zone that extends out 3,000 feet around the island. And Metlakatla hopes to expand the reach of its fishing rights, as a lawsuit makes its way through court.
Other Alaska tribes gave up huge chunks of traditional lands in exchange for money and property to form corporations under the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
Not long after, the state implemented a fisheries management system known as “limited entry,” which limits the number of commercial fishing permits in specific areas. Over time, permits have gradually been lost from Alaska’s coastal Native communities due to economic and other forces.