The U.S. Department of Commerce announced June 17 the allocation of $123.6 million in fishery disaster relief funding to address a series of commercial fishery collapses that struck Alaska, Oregon, California, and Washington's Squaxin Island Tribe between 2019 and 2023. The money was appropriated by Congress through the American Relief Act, 2025.
The funding covers six previously declared fishery resource disasters: the 2023–2024 Bering Sea snow crab fishery in Alaska; the 2023 Oregon ocean commercial salmon fishery; the 2022 Chignik salmon fishery in Alaska; the 2023 Upper Cook Inlet East Side Setnet salmon fishery in Alaska; the 2024 California Sacramento River Fall Chinook and Klamath River Fall Chinook ocean and inland salmon fisheries; and the 2023 Squaxin Island Tribe Puget Sound Fall Chum salmon fishery in Washington.
NOAA used commercial revenue loss data to determine how the funds will be divided among the affected disasters.
“Fishery resource disasters have devastating effects on local communities and our economy,” said Neil Jacobs, Ph.D, NOAA administrator. “This disaster funding provides much-needed assistance to our fishing industry, and we will work with the affected communities to help them recover. This action demonstrates our continued commitment to hardworking American fishermen and to the president’s vision to uphold the United States as the world’s dominant seafood leader.”
Eligible uses for the funds include assistance to commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen, charter businesses, shoreside infrastructure, subsistence users, and other affected community groups. Specific activities that may qualify include fishery-related infrastructure projects, habitat restoration, state-run vessel and fishing permit buybacks, and job retraining. Some affected fishing businesses may also be eligible for Small Business Administration assistance.
NOAA Fisheries, acting under authority delegated by the Secretary of Commerce, will administer the funds in coordination with the states of Alaska, California, and Oregon, the Squaxin Island Tribe, and other designated entities as appropriate. Fishermen and fishing community members affected by the disasters are directed to work through their state agency or tribe.
“These fishery resource disasters are of great concern for the fishing industry and the people and communities that depend on these fisheries to support their local economies,” said Eugenio Piñeiro Soler, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “NOAA will continue to provide guidance and resources to boost recovery and support more resilient fishing communities in the future.”
