Supreme Court of the United States · Official docket →
Cook Inlet Fisherman’s Fund v. Alaska Department of Fish & Game, et al.
Paid petition · Supreme Court of Alaska, No. S-19034 · judgment October 29, 2025
Before the decision, well below the 4.1% base rate, with no standout signals pointing toward a grant.
Questions presented
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Does the Alaska-resident-only Personal Use (“PU”) salmon fishery in Cook Inlet, Alaska, violate the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution?
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Does restricting the commercial fishery in Upper Cook Inlet (“UCI”) to provide salmon for the Alaska-resident-only PU salmon fishery, violate the Magnuson-Stevens Act (“MSA”) and the Commerce Clause?
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Does managing the Kenai River king salmon (Chinook) and other salmon stocks primarily for sport and guided sport uses violate the MSA and the Commerce Clause?
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Can Alaska restrict the UCI commercial fishery and interstate commerce because it is restricting resident and non-resident commercial fishermen alike?
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Does the fact that PU fish cannot be bartered or sold mean the impacts on interstate commerce can be ignored?
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Can the Kenai River king salmon stock be managed for only part of the stock over 34 inches, ignoring the definition of “fish stock” in state law and the MSA?
Counsel of record
For petitioner
Carl J. D. Bauman
Law Offices of Carl Bauman
For respondent
Jenna Marie Lorence
Department of Law
Case
Conference history
Distributed for 1 conference
Proceedings
- May 04 2026Petition DENIED.
- Apr 15 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 5/1/2026.
- Apr 10 2026Waiver of right of respondent Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game, et al. to respond filed.
- Jan 27 2026Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due April 24, 2026)