The State of Alaska, in consultation with stakeholders and NOAA Fisheries, is seeking public comment through Oct. 6 on the initial $131.8 million spend plan for the 2020-2021 statewide Salmon Disaster Initial Draft Spend Plan.
The money is intended to assist fishery participants harmed by the disaster, to improve fishery information used to assess and forecast future fishery performance and to develop management approaches that mitigate the impacts of future fishery disasters that cannot be prevented.
Allocation amounts include:
- 2019 Norton Sound Red King Crab: $1,433,137;
- 2020 Norton Sound, Yukon River, Kuskokwim River, Chignik, and Southeast Alaska salmon; and 2021 Yukon River salmon: $55,928,849;
- 2018 and 2020 Copper River and Prince William Sound salmon: $34,326,265
- 2020 Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod: $17,772,540;
- 2019/2020 Eastern Bering Sea Tanner crab: $12,935,199, and;
- 2018 Upper Cook Inlet East Side Set Net and 2020 Upper Cook Inlet salmon: $9,404,672
Comments should speak to categories of affected fisheries for participants to receive direct payments,
allocation of funds among direct payment categories, eligibility criteria for direct payments, research priorities, and allocation of funds among fisheries if several areas or years are included in the fishery disaster.
Comments, which will be considered for the second draft of the spend plan, should be submitted via email to dfg.com.fisheriesdisasters@alaska.gov or by mail to: ADF&G, Attn: Ana Enge, P.O. Box 115526, Juneau, AK 99811-5526.
Access to the initial spend plan, directions for public comment, and other resources can be found online at the Federal Fishery Disasters page on the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website.
Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo made a disaster determination on Jan. 22 for Alaska’s Norton Sound, Yukon River, Chignik, Kuskokwim River and Southeast Alaska Salmon Fisheries, 2020 and 2021 Yukon River Salmon Fisheries under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act in response to March 8, 2021 and Sept. 14, 2021 requests from Gov. Mike Dunleavy.