The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said a package of fishery disaster relief for West Coast and Alaska fishermen is on the way.
NOAA announced the allocation of $123.6 million in fishery resource disaster funding, appropriated by Congress in the American Relief Act, 2025. The money will go to address fishery resource disasters that occurred in Oregon, California, the Squaxin Island tribe in Washington State, and multiple Alaska fisheries between 2019 and 2023.
“Fishery resource disasters have devastating effects on local communities and our economy,” said Neil Jacobs, NOAA’s administrator. “This disaster funding provides much needed assistance to our fishing industry, and we will work with the affected communities to help them recover.”
The aid allocations apply to previously declared fishery resource disasters, including:
- 2023/2024 Bering Sea snow crab fishery in Alaska
- 2023 Oregon ocean commercial salmon fishery
- 2022 Chignik salmon fishery in Alaska
- 2023 Upper Cook Inlet East Side Setnet salmon fishery in Alaska
- 2024 California Sacramento River Fall Chinook and Klamath River Fall Chinook ocean and inland salmon fisheries
- 2023 Squaxin Island Tribe Puget Sound Fall Chum salmon fishery in Washington.
NOAA Fisheries used commercial revenue loss information to allocate funding across the eligible disasters.
“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, the 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.”
The funding can be used to assist commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen, charter businesses, shore-side infrastructure, subsistence users, and other impacted community groups.
Eligible users who can apply for funding may “include fishery-related infrastructure projects, habitat restoration, state-run vessel and fishing permit buybacks, job retraining and more. Certain fishery-related businesses impacted by the fishery disasters may also be eligible for assistance from the Small Business Administration,” according to NOAA.
NOAA Fisheries will administer the funds, working with the states, Squaxin Island Tribe other designated entities. “Fishing communities and individuals affected by these disasters should work with their state or Tribe as appropriate,” according to the agency.
