2020 Norton Sound, Yukon River, Kuskokwim River, Chignik and Southeast Alaska salmon fisheries and 2021 Yukon River salmon fishery
Disaster Relief Distribution Status

On January 22, 2022, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce made a disaster determination for the Alaska 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 September 14, 2021, requests from Governor Dunleavy. On May 6, 2022, NOAA Fisheries allocated $55,928,849 million to address losses to the affected management areas. The State of Alaska, in consultation with stakeholders and NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, drafted a spend plan and forwarded the plan to Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC), the administrator of the federal grant for the disaster funds. The application period opened in June 2024, and distribution of permit holder, processor and community payments was completed by December 2024.

Relief for subsistence households continues to be processed. Relief for 2020 Chignik crew members is regrettably delayed as ADF&G seeks amendment approval to correct an error in the spend plan regarding the harvest fund split between permit holders and crew members. Captain and crew payments for 2020 Norton Sound and 2020-21 Yukon and Kuskokwim are also delayed pending amended spend plan approval from NOAA Fisheries. Due to the low return rates of crew member applications, ADF&G provided an alternative methodology for calculating payments to Norton Sound and Yukon-Kuskokwim crew members. Without this adjustment, crew would have received payments significantly higher than permit holders, which is not in line with typical crew contracts or settlements. The spend plan amendments are still under review by federal agencies for approval which is needed before relief payments can be issued to crew members. Please follow updates on the PSMFC website: https://relief.psmfc.org/

Documents

2020 Norton Sound, Yukon River, Kuskokwim River, Chignik and Southeast Alaska salmon fisheries and 2021 Yukon River salmon fishery disaster: