Wednesday April 12, 2023
KNBA —
Two regional tribal organizations have sued the federal government over failed Western Alaska salmon runs.
The Association of Village Council Presidents and the Tanana Chiefs Conference have named two federal agencies as defendants in the case – the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Department of Commerce. The lawsuit was filed on their behalf by Earth Justice.
AVCP and the Tanana Chiefs represent about a hundred tribes who live along the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers, a land mass that stretches from Southwest Alaska to the Canadian border.
Jennifer Hooper, the Natural Resources Director for AVCP, says back-to-back seasons of fishery collapses have affected every facet of life for people in the region.