
Image: NOAA Fisheries.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is seeking federal fisheries disaster funds for communities impacted by the worst season for West Coast North Pacific pole and troll albacore harvests in more than 30 years.
On Dec. 24 Newsom joined the governors of Washington and Oregon in submitting a fisheries disaster request to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.
“To the California communities that rely on albacore fishing: we’re working to get you the relief you need. A federal fishery disaster will help provide relief to an industry that is an essential component of the West Coast economy and provides significant benefits to countless coastal communities,” Newsom said in a statement.
The governor’s office noted that the California albacore fishery had declined 71% in volume and 65% in value.
Earlier in 2024, the Newsom administration requested a federal fishery disaster ahead of the closure of the ocean salmon fishing season. State officials noted that previous federal fishery disaster declarations have been vital in providing relief to communities impacted by poor fishing seasons.
“A host of factors have pushed these iconic and important fisheries to the point of collapse, including prolonged and historic drought, severe wildfires, impacts to spawning and rearing habitat, harmful algal blooms, and ocean forage shifts and associated thiamine deficiency,” Newsom said in an April letter to Raimondo regarding the previous fishery disaster request.
“Extreme climate disruption is compounding these factors,” he added.