FAIRBANKS, Alaska—
The Alaska Supreme Court has ruled against fishing groups that want the Copper River Chitina dip-net fishery to be designated a subsistence fishery.
The court's ruling Friday upholds a lower court decision and maintains the existing designation as a personal-use fishery.
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports (http://bit.ly/VVkRBh) that subsistence fisheries get a higher priority than commercial fishermen when fish harvests are restricted because of low returns.
Fishing groups objected to a 2003 decision by the state Board of Fisheries to change the Chitina dip-net fishery from subsistence to personal use.
