Spend Plan Approved — Section 12005 CARES Act Funding
— ADF&G Press Release

Doug Vincent-Lang, Commissioner
P.O. Box 115526
Juneau, Alaska 99811-5526


Press Release: February 25, 2021

CONTACT: Kari Winkel, (907) 465-6141, dfg.com.caresact@alaska.gov

Spend Plan Approved — Section 12005 CARES Act Funding

(Anchorage, AK) — On May 7, 2020, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce announced allocations of Section 12005 CARES Act fisheries assistance funding to all costal states and territories. Alaska will receive $50 million of the $300 million available for this assistance program. The spend plan provides eligibility criteria for participants in the seafood processing, commercial harvesting, sport charter, subsistence, and aquaculture sectors. The spend plan allocates 100% of available funds as direct payments to fishery participants in eligible sectors. While all sectors have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, available funds will only cover a portion of the losses incurred by affected fishery participants.

On February 25th the state received approval on the draft spend plan, with required changes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The approved spend plan is available on the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission webpage www.psmfc.org/cares-act-the-coronavirus-aid-relief-and-economic-security-act. Beginning March 1st applications for all sectors, except subsistence, will also be available on the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission webpage. NOAA is currently working with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to identify potentially eligible subsistence users across Alaska. Once this task is completed, subsistence applications will become available.

To receive approval from NOAA on the spend plan, the state was required to change residency requirements for commercial harvesters. The state's draft spend plan allowed all nonresident commercial harvesters to apply to Alaska for relief if they held Alaskan permits. The state was notified by NOAA that only nonresident commercial harvesters who reside in a state that did not receive a Section 12005 allocation may apply to Alaska.

For questions or inquiries related specifically to Alaska's Sec. 12005 CARES Act Fisheries Assistance relief please email AKCares@psmfc.org or call toll-free: 1-888-517-7262. If you have the ability to email, you may receive a quicker response due to the large volume of calls anticipated to be received.