Murray, Cantwell Announce More Than $220 Million in Fishery Disaster Assistance Relief Coming to Washington, Alaska

Las pesquerías de cangrejo con sede en Washington y Alaska han perdido aproximadamente $287.7 millones debido a cancelaciones de capturas

ICYMI: Murray & Cantwell secure inclusion for fishery disaster assistance in FY23 omnibus bill

Washington DC – Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, announced more than $220 million in disaster assistance for fishing families impacted by cancelled crab and salmon harvests between 2019 and 2022.

The funding was included in the Murray-led and Cantwell-supported Fiscal Year 2023 omnibus spending bill after the senators instó Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to make federal fishery disasters declarations for the 2022-2023 Bering Sea snow crab, the 2022-2023 Bristol Bay red king crab, and the 2021-2022 Bristol Bay red king crab fisheries.

“Crab and salmon harvests are critical to the livelihoods of thousands of Washington state families and local economies across the Pacific Northwest,” dijo el senador Murray. “Our fishermen and small businesses have been grappling with disasters that have hit year after year and they need all the help they can get. Securing these federal dollars in the end-of-year spending package was a top priority for me and I’m thrilled this money is getting out the door and into the hands of those who need it.”

“For the fishing families and Tribes that rely on salmon and Alaskan crab harvests in order to make ends meet, weathering multiple back-to-back seasons of poor returns amounts to a disaster,” dijo el senador Cantwell. “Keeping fisherman afloat, coupled with investments to restore habitat and understand stock declines, will help us maintain one of our state’s most vital industries.”

El Departamento de Comercio anunció recientemente desastres pesqueros federales para las siguientes cosechas:

1. 2021/2022 Pesquerías de cangrejo rey rojo y cangrejo de las nieves del mar de Bering en Alaska, Bahía de Bristol
2. 2019 Washington Columbia River, Willapa Bay, Puget Sound Pesquerías de salmón
3. Pesquerías de salmón del océano Washington 2020
4. 2021 Pesca de salmón del río Kuskokwim de Alaska y salmón chum y coho de Norton Sound
5. Pesca de salmón en Chignik 2021
6. 2020 Pesca de salmón coho y salmón rosado en el río Copper/Prince William Sound
7. 2020/2021 Pesquería de cangrejo rey rojo de Alaska Norton Sound
8. 2022/2023 Pesquerías de cangrejo real rojo y cangrejo de las nieves del mar de Bering en Alaska, Bahía de Bristol

Cancellations of the 2022/2023 Bering Sea snow crab, the 2022/2023 Bristol Bay red king crab, and the 2021/2022 Bristol Bay red king crab harvests have caused an estimated $287.7 million in economic losses for fisheries.

Poor salmon returns for the 2019 Columbia River, Willapa Bay, and Puget Sound Fisheries resulted in ex-vessel values, which is the value of the commercial catch, for Washington’s statewide salmon fisheries of 37 percent compared to the recent five-year average. In certain areas, fisheries saw reductions in salmon returns of más del 65 por ciento del promedio de cinco años.

Las cancelaciones de las pesquerías de salmón del océano de Washington de 2020, que afectaron las cuotas de captura oceánica no tribal para el salmón Chinook y el salmón coho, dieron como resultado pérdidas de ingresos del 50 por ciento basado en datos preliminares. Para la pesquería de curricán de salmón oceánico, el valor total fuera del barco fue de $1.1 millones, que es el 46 por ciento del promedio de los cinco años anteriores.

Los gobernadores estatales, las tribus o un representante de una comunidad pesquera afectada pueden solicitar fondos para desastres a través de la Administración Nacional Oceánica Atmosférica (NOAA) Asistencia en caso de desastres pesqueros program. After the Secretary of Commerce declares a federal fisheries disaster, and the Congress appropriates funding, impacted fishing families, associated businesses, and others may apply to NOAA or fish commission for financial relief.

The final omnibus legislation, passed last December, also included the Fishery Resource Disaster Improvement Act, which was reintroducido by Senator Cantwell in March of 2021. The bill will make improvements to NOAA’s Fishery Resource Disaster Relief program of the National Marine Fisheries Service and speed up the process for Tribes, fishing families, and associated businesses to receive disaster relief. The bill will also expand eligible uses of disaster funding, to ensure Washington state priorities such as hatchery infrastructure, job training, and habitat restoration are eligible. It will also cut red tape to help Tribes receive funding directly from the federal government.

A full list of awarded funds are below:

Fishery Disaster	Award
2022/2023 Alaska Bering Sea Crab Fisheries	$96,621,465
2020 Alaska Copper River/Prince William Sound Salmon Fisheries	$15,730,357
2021 Alaska Kuskokwim River and 2021 Alaska Norton Sound Salmon Fisheries	$1,268,317
2020 and 2021 Alaska Norton Sound Red King Crab Fisheries*	$2,804,214
2021/2022 Alaska Bering Sea Crab Fisheries	$94,489,726
2021 Alaska Chignik Salmon Fishery	$4,989,902
Pesquerías de salmón del océano Washington 2020	$3,455,150
2019 Washington Columbia River, Willapa Bay, Puget Sound Salmon Fisheries	$3,760,439
TOTAL	$223,119,570

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