Fishery disaster determinations have been issued by Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo for eight fisheries in Alaska and Washington, including the Bristol Bay red king crab and Bering Sea snow crab fisheries, based on data submitted by state and tribal entities.
Raimondo found that the 2021 Alaska Kuskokwim River salmon, Norton Sound chum and coho salmon fisheries, the 2021 Chignik salmon fishery, 2020-2021 Norton Sound red king crab fisheries, 2020 Washington ocean salmon fisheries 2020 Copper River/Prince William Sound coho and pink salmon fisheries and 2019 Washington Columbia River, Willapa Bay and Puget Sound salmon fisheries also met the criteria to be declared disasters.
All eight fisheries met specific requirements under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and/or the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act.
Positive determinations make these fisheries eligible for disaster assistance from NOAA, pending availability of congressionally appropriated funds.
These fisheries may also qualify for disaster assistance from the Small Business Administration.
In considering eligibility for disaster assistance fisheries are subject to a number of factors that can cause sudden and unexpected losses, leading to serious economic impact for harvesters and their communities.
In these instances, a state governor or an elected or duly appointed representative of an affected fishing community may request a fishery disaster determination from the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.