The U.S. state of Alaska has requested millions of dollars in financial relief from the federal government to compensate fishers and related businesses for lost revenue from the state’s struggling salmon fisheries.
In his request for a fishery disaster determination from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy said the low salmon runs across the state could be devastating for local fishers and communities who depend on revenue from the fisheries.
“Salmon fuels the economies of the Alaskan Peninsula communities, and the loss of revenue due to the poor 2024 season has been severe for these fishermen,” Dunleavy said. “Residents and businesses of Alaska Peninsula communities are heavily reliant on commercial salmon fisheries to provide household income as opportunities for other sources of income are extremely limited. This loss of income is particularly devastating given the rising costs of food, fuel, and other essentials that have already strained household budgets.”
Dunleavy submitted five separate requests for fishery disaster determinations from the Commerce Department, which, if granted, would allow fishers and businesses impacted by those fishery disasters to receive federal financial compensation. Dunleavy’s requests covered the 2024 Prince William Sound pink and chum salmon fisheries, Lower Cook Inlet pink salmon fishery, Kodiak pink salmon fishery, the Chignik sockeye salmon fishery, and the Alaska Peninsula sockeye and South Alaska pink salmon fisheries.
In the Prince William Sound, ...
