Governor fights Bristol Bay legal fees.

• Author: Pilkington, Steve
• Position: Fisheries - Brief Article

Gov. Frank H. Murkowski has requested Attorney General Gregg Renkes argue that outside plaintiffs' attorneys who lost the Bristol Bay "price-fixing" lawsuit should not receive $12 million for their work. Murkowski said the money should instead be split between fishermen and domestic processors, whose markets have been devastated by the lawsuit.

"These outside lawyers came to Alaska, convinced the fishermen they could win a billion dollars, and lost," Murkowski said. "Now, they hope to take away $12 million in fees, on top of $4.5 million in costs. This lawsuit has had a devastating impact on our markets, particularly in Japan. It will take a significant, concentrated effort to rebuild what has been lost."

Murkowski said that under the agreement, each of the 4,500 fishermen would receive a share of $9.7 million, averaging a little over $2,100 each...