(a) The commissioner shall assist in and encourage the formation of qualified regional associations for the purpose of enhancing salmon production. A regional association is qualified if the commissioner determines that it (1) is comprised of associations representative of commercial fishermen in the region; (2) includes representatives of other user groups interested in fisheries within the region who wish to belong; and (3) possesses a board of directors that includes no less than one representative of each user group that belongs to the association. (b) A qualified regional association, when it becomes a nonprofit corporation under AS 10.20, is established as a service area in the unorganized borough under AS 29.03.020 for the purpose of providing salmon enhancement services. (c) In this section 'user group' includes, but is not limited to, sport fishermen, processors, commercial fishermen, subsistence fishermen, and representatives of local communities.
Alaska Legal Code