According to Parnell federal government should declare a fishery disaster due to poor returns of king salmon on the Yukon River. He is confident that US Secretary of Commerce Locke will recognize the severity of the situation on the Yukon and declare a fishery disaster. He is looking forward to work with federal agencies and Alaska’s congressional delegation to secure disaster relief assistance for this region.
It is told that state analysis indicates that the decline in the Yukon chinook fishery meets the standards in federal law as well as National Marine Fisheries Service policy for disaster declarations and criteria. Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development Commissioner Emil Notti informed that residents of Yukon River communities rely on fishing for income and food.
It is fact that commercial fishing is the only identified industry in the lower Yukon region that brings new money into the economy. It is told that more than 800 Alaska permit holders are directly affected on the Yukon River. The state is providing run assessment updates and technical information to assist the National Marine Fisheries Service Alaska region in its analysis of the situation and is committed to providing any additional information that may be necessary for the federal process.
