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

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. Most crew member relief payments were completed by December 2025. Subsistence household relief payment was completed by January 2026.

Relief for 2020 Chignik crew members was regrettably delayed as ADF&G sought approval to correct an error in the spend plan regarding the harvest fund split between permit holders and crew members. Chignik crew relief checks were mailed May 2026.

The spend plan allocated funds to help partially restore losses to fishery participants impacted by the 2020/21 Statewide salmon fishery disaster and for research. Research funds were distributed to ADF&G and UAF for scientific research projects identified in the spend plan.

Documents

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