Metlakatla

Metlakatla Indian Community will appeal a federal judge’s dismissal of a fishing rights case against Gov. Mike Dunleavy and his administration. Lawyers for the Tribe filed the appeal in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Thursday.

A federal lawsuit arguing that Tribal members of the state’s sole Native reservation shouldn’t need state permits to fish outside the reserve’s marine boundaries was dismissed Wednesday.

Metlakatla Indian Community is suing Gov. Mike Dunleavy and senior state officials over fishing rights. The state’s sole Native reservation says the commercial fishing permit system unfairly prevents local fishermen from harvesting on their traditional fishing grounds — a right that Metlakatla says is guaranteed to the Tribe by Congress.