2016 Pink Salmon Disaster Relief Fund Draft Distribution Plan

On January 18, 2017, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce declared the 2016 Gulf of Alaska pink salmon fishery a disaster under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Following this declaration, Congress appropriated $56.3 million to address losses to the seven management areas in the Gulf of Alaska affected by the fishery failure: Kodiak, Prince William Sound, Chignik, Lower Cook Inlet, South Alaska Peninsula, Southeast Alaska, and Yakutat. The State of Alaska, in consultation with stakeholders and NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, developed a distribution plan for the disaster funds.

On July 1, 2019, NOAA approved the distribution of $53.8 million to restore losses for fisheries impacted by the 2016 Gulf of Alaska pink salmon fishery disaster. These funds will support research and provide payments to fishermen, crew and processors in the affected regions. The remaining $2.4 million in disaster relief funds appropriated by Congress will be distributed to municipalities that were affected by the disaster. The State of Alaska is working with the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission and NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service to identify a process for distributing the funds to municipalities.

The Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission will distribute funds to the affected entities. Please see the PSMFC fisheries disaster web page at https://www.psmfc.org/fishery-disaster-programs or call 1-888-517-7262 for more information.

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