STUTES: Update on Alaska’s fishery disaster requests and relief payments

Starting with crab, the disaster request for the 2019/2020 Bering Sea tanner crab fishery has been approved by the Secretary of Commerce (SOC) with $12.9 million allocated for relief. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is currently working on the initial spend plan. As we have seen, early stakeholder engagement is critical to ensuring that the payment structures are as fair and equitable as possible. I will be sure to update you as soon as there is a draft out for public review and comment. 

The State has requested disasters for the 2021/2022 Bering Sea snow and tanner crab fisheries. Those requests are awaiting approval by the SOC, but the 2022 portion of the request will sit for a year as the final harvest data for those fisheries will not be available until September of 2023. 

The SOC will not declare a disaster until the final revenue data for that fishery is in hand. Requests for disasters in fisheries where no commercial harvest occurred, such as the 2021/2022 Bristol Bay red king crab, should be approved quickly as no revenue data is needed to move froward. The State has requested a disaster in that fishery and the determination is pending on the SOC’s desk. 

The 2019 Norton Sound red king crab fishery disaster was approved by the SOC with $1.4 million allocated to the fishery. The second draft of the spend plan was released by ADF&G last week and is open for public comment until Oct. 5. You can view the new spend plan at www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/fishing/pdfs/2019_norton_redkingcrab_second_draft_spend_plan.pdf. 

The State has requested disaster determinations for 2020 and 2021 Norton Sound red king crab fisheries as well, and the final data is available for the 2021 season. 

The 2020 Norton Sound, Yukon River, Chignik, Kuskokwim River and Southeast Alaska salmon fisheries, as well as the 2021 Yukon River salmon fishery requests were approved with $55.9 million allocated for payments. A draft spend plan was released this past week and public comment is open until Oct. 6. The spend plan for those fisheries can be found at www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/fishing/pdfs/2020-21_salmon_disaster_initial_draft_spend_plan.pdf.

Comments for the above spend plans can be submitted to dfg.com.fisheriesdisasters@alaska.gov or by mail to ADF&G, Attn: Ana Enge P.O. Box 115526 Juneau, AK 99811-5526. 

The 2018 and 2020 Copper River and Prince William Sound salmon disaster requests have been approved with $34.3 million allocated towards those fisheries. 

The 2020 Gulf of Alaska pacific cod request was approved this past spring and $17.7 million was allocated for payments. ADF&G is working on an initial spend plan, and I will update you when it is out for public review and comment. 

So, what could be done to speed up the determination process?

For Alaska, final revenue data comes from the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission’s (CFEC) estimated gross revenue data. CFEC’s estimate is informed by the Commercial Operator’s Annual Report (COAR), which is due in April each year for the previous calendar year.  It takes approximately four months for the COAR data to be finalized and CFEC to complete the estimates. 

Two ways to speed up the process could be to have ADF&G require COAR data to be submitted earlier than April or require that prices be listed on fish tickets upon delivery. 

ADF&G and NOAA both maintain websites dedicated to the status of outstanding fisheries disaster requests and spend plans. NOAA’s site can be found at: www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-and-financial-services/fishery-disaster-determinations and ADF&G’s can be found at: www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=hottopics.fisherydisasters.

As always, my office will stay engaged in this process, provide your input to ADF&G, and do our best to hold the State and the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission accountable to fishermen and established timelines. 

Please feel free to reach out to me at 907-465-3271 or contact my fisheries aide, Matt Gruening, at matt.gruening@akleg.gov regarding any questions, concerns, or suggestions. Please email me at Rep.Louise.Stutes@akleg.gov if you would like to be added to the fisheries disaster email update list, and my office will update you directly on any developments or opportunities for public comment. 

Sincerely, 

Louise Stutes 

Speaker of the House  

Proudly Serving Kodiak, Cordova, Yakutat, and Seldovia 

Rep.Louise.Stutes@akleg.gov 

(907) 465-3271