Future Disaster Relief

Updated 5/1/2023

 

Future Federal Fishery Disaster Relief

 

On November 7th, 2022 the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration alerted the Pacific Stats Marine Fisheries Commission that we would be administering ~$131,800,662 for fishery disaster assistance to respond to the impacts of the following federal fishery disaster in the state of Alaska:

 

• 2019 Norton Sound Red King Crab Disaster Final DRAFT Spend Plan_2022.10.31 – APPROVED
  Current status ADF&G submitted to PSMFC on 11/2/2022.

 

• 2019/2020 Bering Sea Tanner Crab Final DRAFT Spend Plan_2023.04.28 – APPROVED
  Current status ADF&G submitted to PSMFC on 5/1/2023. 

 

• 2020/2021 Statewide Salmon Final DRAFT Spend Plan_2023.04.14 – APPROVED
  Current status ADF&G submitted to PSMFC on 4/14/2023.

 

• 2018 Upper Cook Inlet East Side Setnet Salmon and 2020 Upper Cook Inlet Salmon Fisheries – APPROVED

 

• 2018 and 2020 Alaska Copper River and Prince William Sound Salmon Fisheries – APPROVED

 

Funds must be used in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act, and the NOAA Fisheries Disaster Policy. Funds may be expended for administrative processes as well as to sub-recipients. Funds can be used to address a range of impacts including impacts to commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen, charter businesses, subsistence users, processors, shore-side infrastructure, and the fishing ecosystem and environment. These funds should be used for activities that restore the fishery or prevent a similar failure in the future and assist fishing communities affected by such failure. NOAA strongly recommends that recipients utilize these funds to strengthen the long-term economic and environmental sustainability of the fishery. This can include, but is not limited to, activities such as habitat restoration, research, state-run buybacks, job retraining, and fishery-related infrastructure.

 

The Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game (ADF&G) will develop spend plans for each of the above disasters. These spend plans will be incorporated into grant applications by PSMFC. We are currently uncertain when spend plans will be submitted, reviewed, approved, or when funds will become available.

 

For information regarding respective spend plans, please contact the Alaska Dept. Fish and Game at: dfg.com.fisheriesdisasters@alaska.gov

 

ADF&G – Federal Fishery Disasters

 

Please if not already doing so, continue to monitor our website for updates. This will be our primary source for publicizing information/updates.