Copeland v. State, Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission

OPINION

FABE, Chief Justice.

This appeal arises out of the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission's (CFEC's) denial of a limited entry fishing permit to Steve Copeland. Copeland applied for and was denied a limited entry permit in the Prince William Sound Purse Seine salmon fishery. He appealed the denial to the superior court, which affirmed CFEC's decision to deny the permit.

When the superior court acts as an intermediate court of appeal, we independently review the merits of the administrative decision. 1 When reviewing an agency's interpretation of its own regulation, we apply the reasonable…