Commercial fishermen from Alaska will soon receive NOAA's announced aids. (Image: NOAA/FIS)
UNITED STATES
Wednesday, August 20, 2014, 22:30 (GMT + 9)
NOAA Fisheries Alaska Region is announcing the approval of the first grant application in the amount of USD 7.8 million to assist fishermen affected by the 2012 commercial fisheries failure due to the fishery resource disaster for the Yukon chinook fishery, Kuskokwim chinook fishery, and the Cook Inlet salmon fishery.
This award covers direct payments to commercial fishermen and breaks out as USD 3.2 million for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Region and USD 4.6 million for the Cook Inlet Region.
"From the moment we learned that Alaska would receive fishery disaster relief funds, our first priority has been to get those dollars directly into the hands of fishermen who were impacted by the fisheries failure," said Alaska Regional Administrator Jim Balsiger. "Approval of the grant application for direct assistance means that will happen very soon."
Impacted fishermen will be receiving their application for these disaster relief funds in the mail.
For the remaining funds (about USD 13 million), the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission is developing a second grant proposal based on spend plans provided by representative groups identified by the State of Alaska and the Congressional Delegation. NOAA Fisheries expects to award this second grant in the coming months.