Salmon fishermen offered $100 million in relief

NOAA's Fisheries Service announced last week that it is making $100 million of disaster-relief aid available to West Coast salmon fishermen out of the original $170 million authorized.

"The salmon fishery has been a mainstay of the West Coast's ocean fishing revenues for many years," said U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez. "This year's closure left thousands of fishermen and dependent businesses struggling to make ends meet. This disaster aid package of $100 million will help them get back on their feet."

The agency will provide the money in the form of a grant to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. The commission will distribute the money, based on the agreements reached with the states, to fishermen and related businesses affected by this year's closure of the ocean salmon fishing season off California, Oregon, and Washington.

The unprecedented collapse of Sacramento River Fall Chinook, combined with the exceptionally poor status of Coho salmon from Oregon and Washington, led officials to close all commercial and sport Chinook ocean fishing off California and most of Oregon this year. Only a small hatchery-origin recreational Coho fishery off central and southern Oregon remained open, which also affected Washington fishermen.

The governors of all three West Coast states requested a federal disaster declaration as a result of the closures. The declaration, issued by the Secretary of Commerce last May, paved the way for Congress to appropriate a $170 million disaster-relief package in July.

The remaining $70 million of congressionally appropriated disaster-relief money is expected to become available later in the year as the $100 million is spent.

The grant developed by the Pacific States Marine Fishery Commission, in consultation with representatives of the West Coast governors, provides relief to affected commercial fishermen, wholesalers, processors, charter boat owners and recreational guides and businesses dependent on fishing.

Officials plan to mail application forms this week to commercial fishermen with permits. Businesses affected by the salmon closure can download application forms from the commission's Web site at http://www.psmfc.org. Applicants must be licensed state permit holders or have purchased a state business license or permit in 2007.

NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.

"This assistance is a good start to getting Oregon fishermen back on their feet, but there is still work to do," said Senator Gordon Smith. "I will continue to work to ensure the Administration releases the remainder of the funds and see that Oregon's fishing industry gets its fair share of the money provided."

"Given that the Administration attempted to reallocate $70 million earlier this year to pay for cost over runs associated with the 2010 Census, members are concerned that they again intend to reallocate the remaining money to fix the mistakes made by Bush's political cronies, said Rep. Peter DeFazio.

"I am absolutely astounded that the Administration is not distributing the full $170 million Congress allocated in the Farm Bill to deal with the salmon disaster. Instead, they are trying to steal $70 million from salmon fishermen and give it to an incompetent defense contractor,"

DeFazio said. "The fishing community of Oregon is already suffering because of the flawed Bush policies in the Sacramento River basin. They should not have to suffer again because the President has hired people in Florida who can't count. We've been there before."

In June, the Office of Management and Budget, which puts together the President's annual budget, sent Congress a revised budget request for more funding to carry out the 2010 Census. The White House is requesting $546 million more for the Census, and has proposed using $70 million of the $170 million in salmon disaster money allocated in the Farm Bill, to pay for the cost over-runs.

The Administration entered into a contract with the Harris Corporation, a Florida defense contractor, to conduct the Census, but the contractor has run into serious cost over-runs in the amount of hundreds of millions of dollars.