Opinion ID: 1445031
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: does the state subsistence law require the boards of fisheries and game to protect the customary and traditional character of subsistence hunting and fishing, insofar as these customs and traditions are subject to the regulatory jurisdiction of the boards?

Text: The State takes the position that the subsistence preference law does not require the boards of fish and game to protect the customary and traditional character of subsistence hunting and fishing. The State contends, however, that the boards have discretionary authority to do so under their general authority to regulate the methods and means of pursuing, capturing, and transporting fish and game. AS 16.05.251(a)(4), AS 16.05.255(a)(6). [12] The State argues that the superior court's interpretation, that the boards are required to protect the customary and traditional character of subsistence hunting, is not supported by the literal language of the subsistence preference law. In AS 16.05.258(a), `customary and traditional' is used to define the fish stocks and game populations that are subject to subsistence uses. Elsewhere, these words are used to define how subsistence fish and game are used, that is, how these resources are consumed after they are harvested. AS 16.05.940(31). (Emphasis in original.) The State further contends that the superior court failed to distinguish the taking of subsistence resources  which is not limited to customary and traditional methods and means  from the use of these resources after they have been taken. The State also contends that the superior court was incorrect when it concluded that the subsistence law does not just preserve an amount of fish and game for subsistence users. It insists that AS 16.05.258 requires the boards to first identify stocks and populations, then determine what portions can be harvested consistent with sustained yield. The boards next must determine how much is needed to provide a reasonable opportunity to satisfy subsistence uses. When the law describes the subsistence priority, it consistently refers to harvestable portions. AS 16.05.258(c). The State concludes that in essence, the subsistence law describes a process for determining a quantitative amount of fish and game that will provide subsistence users with a reasonable opportunity to satisfy their customary and traditional consumptive uses. It does not require that the boards preserve a qualitative way of harvesting these resources. Morry and Kwethluk counter that the subsistence law broadly protects the customs and traditions, as well as the needs, of subsistence users insofar as these customs and traditions are subject to the regulatory jurisdiction of the boards. Morry and Kwethluk submit that it has been recognized from the beginning that the customary and traditional concept of subsistence involves more than merely what is done with the resource after it is harvested. They support their contention by quoting from a decision rendered by this court, contemporaneously with the passage of the initial subsistence law: For hundreds of years, many of the Native people of Alaska depended on hunting to obtain the necessities of life... . A few non-Natives have adopted similar means of livelihood... . Not only is the game of prime importance in furnishing the bare necessities of life, but subsistence hunting is at the core of the cultural tradition of many of these people. It has been claimed that their very lifestyle is threatened if they are deprived of this traditional method of obtaining the wherewithal for existence. State v. Tanana Valley Sportsmen's Ass'n, 583 P.2d 854, 859 n. 18 (Alaska 1978); see also McDowell, 785 P.2d at 19 n. 13 (Rabinowitz, J., dissenting). [13] Morry and Kwethluk assert that these patterns, customs, and traditions have been identified through application of the eight criteria, which the legislature approved when it amended the law. In their view these criteria describe more than mere consumption of the resource. [T]hey appear to attempt, at least, to incorporate most aspects of use, including those that take place before, during and after harvest, such as handing down hunting skills and values, cultural and social importance, seasonal patterns, and the like. Morry and Kwethluk further contend that this court previously struck down a similar argument by the State, designed to manipulate the term customary and traditional: The legislative history indicates that the legislature intended to protect subsistence use, not limit it. The words customary and traditional serve as guidelines to recognize historical subsistence use by individuals, both [N]ative and non-[N]ative... . [T]he board's interpretation of `customary and traditional' as a restrictive term conflicts squarely with the legislative intent. Madison, 696 P.2d at 176 (footnote omitted). Based on the above arguments, Morry and Kwethluk submit that the superior court's remand instructions directing the board of game to afford reasonable regulatory recognition and protection for the customs and traditions of the people of Kwethluk and Anaktuvuk Pass, in connection with their harvest and utilization of brown/grizzly bears should be affirmed. We agree with the State's analysis of this issue and with its position that [c]learly the boards may adopt regulations that recognize the needs, customs, and traditions of Alaska residents. [14] (Emphasis in original.) Our holding is not to be taken as a direction to the boards that they should not consider traditional patterns and methods of taking fish and game for subsistence purposes in their formulation of appropriate subsistence regulations. Analysis of the applicable statutory provisions leads us to the conclusion that the boards have the discretion, but are not mandated, to take into consideration the traditional and customary methods of subsistence takings in their formulation of subsistence regulations. Of controlling significance here is the fact that under AS 16.05.940(30) the terms customary and traditional define how fish and game are used, not how they are harvested, for subsistence purposes. [15]