Federal relief money heading to Alaska communities – including Y-K Delta – impacted by fishery disasters

Alaska communities impacted by greater than a dozen fishery disasters between 2018 and 2021 are set to obtain $131.8 million in federal aid, in accordance with an announcement on Might 5 from the Alaska Division of Fish and Recreation. The funds have been permitted by Congress and allotted by the U.S. Division of Commerce.

However that’s a fraction of the cash misplaced by the state’s fishing communities.

“Throughout the board right here it appears like in comparison with the estimated losses from these disasters the funding that was supplied makes up about 60 to 70% of these losses,” Fish and Recreation Program Supervisor Karla Bush mentioned.

Fourteen fisheries in Alaska have been permitted as disasters by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce again in January. These included the 2020 and 2021 Yukon River salmon fisheries and the 2020 Kuskokwim River salmon fishery.

Fish and Recreation will maintain a listening session this week for public enter on how the newest catastrophe cash needs to be spent. Public remark for the Kuskokwim and Yukon Rivers will likely be taken between 9 and 10 a.m. on Might 11. Members may have as much as three minutes to supply feedback.

The Zoom hyperlink is:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87639321697?pwd=WHY3V0NmdmRtQlhCZmpEZVRVWHBJdz09

• Dial by your location:
  • 888 475 4499 US Toll-free
  • or 833 548 0276 US Toll-free
  • or 833 548 0282 US Toll-free
  • or 877 853 5257 US Toll-free
• Assembly ID: 876 3932 1697
• Passcode: 051122

Extra details about call-in instances is obtainable on the division’s web site. Members of the general public may also e mail feedback to the division.

Bush mentioned the division hopes to publish a preliminary spending plan for the cash subsequent month.

The fishery aid funding checklist for Alaska communities encompasses:

• 2019 Norton Sound Purple king crab fishery: $1,433,137
• 2020 Norton Sound, Yukon River, Kuskokwim River, Chignik, and Southeast Alaska salmon fisheries, and 2021 Yukon River salmon fishery: $55,928,849
• 2018 Higher Prepare dinner Inlet East Facet Set Internet and 2020 Higher Prepare dinner Inlet salmon fisheries: $9,404,672
• 2018 and 2020 Copper River and Prince William Sound salmon fisheries: $34,326,265
• 2019/2020 Jap Bering Sea Tanner crab fishery: $12,935,199
• 2020 Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod fishery: $17,772,540

This story was reported by Kirsten Dobroth at KMXT and modified by Anna Rose MacArthur at KYUK with data related to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.