Ostman v. State, Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission

OPINION

BURKE, Chief Justice.

This case arises under the Alaska Limited Entry Act, AS 16.43.010 — 16.43.990, which created the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (Commission) to administer a program to limit entry into Alaskan commercial fisheries. The Commission distributes entry permits for each fishery to those applicants who have the highest point totals. Points are awarded based on the degree of hardship that would be suffered by exclusion from the fishery. AS 16.43.-250(a).

Richard Ostman applied for a limited entry permit in 1975. On three separate occasions, in 1976, 1977 and 1979,…