NRS Protects The Fishing Rights of Subsistence Users on the Kuskokwim River

Photo by FWS

After Alaska opened up 180 miles of the Kuskokwim River within the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge to gillnet fishing by all Alaskans, NRS successfully sued to stop the orders from going into effect. The Federal Subsistence Board had issued orders preserving the river to fishing only by federally qualified subsistence users, which was limited to local Alaskans. Alaska is now permanently enjoined from reinstating its orders “and from taking similar actions interfering with or in contravention of federal orders addressing Title VIII of [the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act]” on the Kuskokwim River within the Refuge. The Court held that the Title VIII subsistence use priority applies to navigable waters in which the United States has reserved water rights.