An Initiative To Ban Setnets in Much of Alaska Is Rejected by the Alaska Lt. Gov

Alaska’s Lieutenant Governor has rejected a proposed initiative that sought to ban commercial setnets in non-subsistence areas in Alaska. Mead Treadwell says he rejected the initiative on the advice of the Alaska Department of Law, which put together a 12-page opinion that called the initiative a prohibited appropriation under the Alaska Constitution. In the opinion the Department of Law noted that if this type of initiative were permissible, voters could continue to reallocate stocks to any fishery simply by eliminating specific gear or particular means and methods of catching fish. The Department further noted that this would prevent real regulation and careful administration of Alaska’s salmon stocks. The proposed initiative was filed on November 6th and Monday was the deadline for the Lieutenant Governor to either accept or reject the initiative. The sponsors of the initiative now have 30-days to ask for a judicial review.