Federal Appeals Court Reverses Decision, Keeps Alaska Salmon Fishery Open

A federal appeals court has reversed a lower court ruling that would have shut down the Southeast Alaska Chinook salmon fishery, a significant source of income for local fishermen, while keeping intact a program aimed at increasing prey for an endangered species of orcas. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Aug. 16 that U.S. District Judge Richard Jones in Seattle had erred in 2023 when he invalidated a key permit, known as a “take statement,” issued by the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). This take statement, which specifically applied to the Southeast Alaska Chinook salmon fishery, authorized the summer and winter harvests of Chinook salmon, which are a critical food source for the endangered Southern Resident killer whales....