AFN organizes listening session with ADFG on allocated federal fisheries failure funds

Last month U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced multiple fishery disasters from 2018 to 2021 across Alaska. In response, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration allocated $131.8 million in fishery disaster assistance to address six fisheries across Alaska. Six fishery failures were identified and are to receive the following amounts of funds:

2019 Norton Sound Red king crab: $1,433,137;

2020 Norton Sound, Yukon River, Kuskokwim River, Chignik, and Southeast Alaska salmon; and 2021 Yukon River salmon: $55,928,849;

2018 Upper Cook Inlet East Side Set Net and 2020 Upper Cook Inlet salmon: $9,404,672

2018 and 2020 Copper River and Prince William Sound salmon: $34,326,265

2019/2020 Eastern Bering Sea Tanner crab: $12,935,199

2020 Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod: $17,772,540

The next step in the distribution of these funds is for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to draft the spending plan for NOAA. In this process, ADFG is seeking comments from affected individuals, organizations, businesses and communities. Previous Alaska fishery disaster spend plans have provided funds for two general categories: research and direct payments to affected fishery participants such as harvesters, processors, communities, and households. To assist in the development of the spend plans the ADFG is requesting comments on: categories of affected fishery participants to receive direct payments; eligibility criteria for direct payments; how to allocate funds among the categories of fishery participants; how to allocate funds among fisheries if several areas or years are included in the fishery disaster; and recommendations for research priorities.

The listening session will take place on June 15, 2022 at 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm Alaska time Link to register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/re gister/tZYrcOuhqjopHNZxwHXic1UYgxis1vy gLWvl