Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage
The federal Subsistence Management Board finished two days of meetings yesterday in Anchorage. One of the big issues that was unanimously approved by board members was a decade-long request by the Ninilchik traditional council to allow for a customary and traditional use determination for fish other than salmon. New Subsistence Board Chairman Tim Towarak says the board has looked at the request in the past but it didn’t move on it for 10 years.
Subsistence management assistant regional director Pete Probasco says that means the Kenai Peninsula Tribe will soon have different rules for subsistence fishing than in the past when they were restricted to one fish species.
Probasco says if there are no customary and traditional use determinations in an area, then all rural residents qualify.
The C and T designation would apply to areas on the Kenai River. No one could be reached by phone at the Ninilchik traditional council as the office was closed for Veteran’s Day.
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