The Commerce Secretary has determined that fishery resource disasters occurred in one Oregon and two Alaska salmon fisheries – Oregon ocean commercial Chinook salmon fishery and the Alaska Upper Cook Inlet East Side Setnet salmon fishery, both in 2023, and the Alaska Chignik salmon fishery in 2022.
This determination is in response to requests from Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy.
Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo, working with NOAA Fisheries, evaluates each fishery resource disaster request based primarily on data submitted by the requesting official. A fishery resource disaster determination must meet specific requirements under the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
For example, there must be economic impacts and an unexpected large decrease in fish stock biomass or other change. These impacts result in significant loss of access to the fishery resource resulting from specific allowable causes due to the fishery resource disaster event.
This positive determination makes these fisheries eligible for disaster assistance from NOAA, based on the availability of Congressionally appropriated disaster funding. Fishery participants may also qualify for disaster assistance from the Small Business Administration.
