fishery Disaster Funds for prince william sound & Copper river
A fishery disaster refers to a commercial fishery failure, a catastrophic regional fishery disaster, significant harm incurred, or a serious disruption affecting future production due to a fishery resource disaster arising from natural, undetermined, or in certain circumstances man-made causes.
UPDATE for Federal Fishery Disaster Allocation from NOAA: 2020 Copper River and PWS salmon fisheries - updated January 2024
The State of Alaska has published the second draft spend plan for funds for the 2020 PWS salmon fisheries (pink and coho) disaster. ***This is a separate declaration and process from the 2018 & 2020 PWS chinook, sockeye and chum disaster that the fleet commented on in summer 2023.***
NOAA Fisheries allocated $15,730,357 for this salmon fishery disaster on May 9, 2023.
Written comments must be received or postmarked by January 23, 2024 to be considered for the final spend plan:
email: dfg.com.fisheriesdisasters@alaska.gov
mail: ADF&G, Attn: Darion Jones PO Box 115526 Juneau, AK 99811-5526
The final spend plan will be sent to Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC), the administrator of the federal grant for the disaster funds. Once the federal grant has been approved, PSMFC can begin the fund distribution process.
Information on other Alaska fishery disasters, including spend plan development, can be found on the Department's Fishery Disaster webpage.
UPDATE for 2018 & 2020 Copper River and Prince William Sound Salmon Fisheries - updated September 2023
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Question: When will the disaster monies become available?
Answer: ADFG has submitted the final spend plan. The next step is for the federal grant filed by Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) to be approved by NOAA Fisheries and the White House Office of Management and Budget. ADFG does not know how long that will take, but in the past for previous disaster grant applications it has taken six months to be approved. They estimate approvals being final by spring 2024.
Question: What happens when the federal grant is released? When will I get paid?
Answer: The federal grant will be managed through PSMFC. If you are eligible for these fisheries disaster funds, you will be able to apply for aid directly through them. They will offer information directly about disbursements when they publish applications.
Question: Applying for funds was confusing and difficult paperwork the last time I did this. Is there support?
Answer: Yes! CDFU will again offer advice and help on applications for fishermen with active memberships.
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In May 2022 NOAA allocated $34,326,265 for the 2018 and 2020 Copper River and 2020 Prince William Sound chinook, sockeye, and chum salmon fisheries.
The final spend plan for funds appropriated to address the 2018 and 2020 Copper River and 2020 Prince William Sound Chinook, sockeye, and chum salmon fisheries disaster was transmitted to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) on August 24, 2023, and can be viewed at the following link:
https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/fishing/pdfs/2018_2020_copper_pws_salmon_final_spend_plan.pdf
The spend plan informs the federal grant application submitted by PSMFC to NOAA Fisheries and is subject to change based on approval of the final grant. Once the grant has been approved by NOAA Fisheries and the White House Office of Management and Budget, the funds will be released to PSMFC and they can begin the application and distribution process. Fishery Disaster Program information will be posted to the PSMFC website: https://relief.psmfc.org/ as it becomes available.