Today, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the allocation of $8.2 million appropriated by Congress for the 2021 and 2022 Yurok Tribe Chinook Salmon fishery disasters.
NOAA Fisheries used commercial fishery revenue loss as the basis to allocate the funding across the eligible fishery disasters. We also considered factors that cannot be accounted for in revenue loss data alone, such as subsistence uses. We increased the allocation to the Yurok Tribe to account for these important uses.
“We understand the importance of these funds to the affected communities,” said Kelly Denit, Director of NOAA’s Office of Sustainable Fisheries. “These funds will help them recover from the disaster and prevent similar fishery resource disasters in the future.”
NOAA Fisheries provides guidance on developing spend plans which can cover a range of activities to support disaster-affected communities. The allocated funds can be used to help:
- Commercial fishermen
- Recreational fishermen
- Charter businesses
- Shore-side infrastructure
- Subsistence users
It can also help improve the fishing ecosystem and environment.
These funds can help address the factors contributing to the fishery resource disaster and minimizing future uninsured losses.
We will work with the Yurok Tribe on administering these disaster relief funds. Affected fishing communities and individuals should contact the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission to learn more about the spend plan process.
Some of the affected fishing communities may also be eligible for assistance from the Small Business Administration or other federal agencies.
