3 Fishery Resource Disasters Declared in California

U.S. Commerce Department officials have determined that salmon fishery resource disasters occurred in three 2024 California fisheries, making them eligible for disaster assistance from NOAA Fisheries and the Small Business Administration.

The decision came in a Dec. 31 announcement by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in response to requests from California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Squaxin Island Tribe fisheries and the 2023 Squaxin Island Tribe Puget Sound fall chum salmon fishery.

At the time of the declaration, Raimondo was working with NOAA Fisheries to evaluate each fishery’s qualification for disaster aid, as a fishery resource disaster must meet specific requirements under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

For example, there must be economic impacts and an unexpected, large decrease in fish stock biomass or other change that results in significant loss of access to the fishery resource resulting from specific allowable causes due to the fishery resource disaster event.

Details regarding the amount of potential funds for each of these disasters and when they might be distributed were not immediately available.

Currently, there are no standing funds specifically designated for fishery resource disasters. Fishery participants may also qualify for disaster assistance from the Small Business Administration.

Source: https://fishermensnews.com/3-fishery-resource-disasters-declared-in-california/