Contact: Gordon Helm FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8/20/98
Anchorage, Alaska -- U.S. Commerce Secretary William M. Daley today announced that $7 million in federal aid is being made available for state programs to help fishermen and communities recover from the adverse economic impact of last year's disastrously low returns of salmon in the Bristol Bay and Kuskokwim regions of Alaska.
Secretary Daley announced the availability of the federal funds at a news conference with Senator Ted Stevens and Governor Tony Knowles as the state made available its $2.33 million share of the aid package to provide help to the regions. The state is responsible for implementing the assistance programs for the regions using both federal and state funding.
"We have worked diligently with our state partners to develop an assistance program to ensure the $7 million in federal aid reaches the residents of the Bristol Bay and Kuskokwim regions without delay," said Commerce Secretary William M. Daley. "I would like to recognize the efforts of both Senator Stevens and Governor Knowles in pursuing the development of this disaster assistance program to address last year's fisheries failure. It was through their coordinated efforts that this funding was made available."
The $7 million federal aid package is composed of four components:
"The comprehensive federal aid package has already provided no-interest loans to fishermen," said Daley. "The bulk of the funds will go to the local communities most impacted by the fishery failure to help diversify and enhance the local economy or to assess the economic or social effects of the commercial fishery failure."
"The Bristol Bay/Kuskokwim salmon failure is a glaring example of how important environment is to a healthy economy. We need to improve our knowledge of how climatic changes impact the health of our coastal resources in order to ensure their preservation," said Daley.
In March 1998, the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded a grant to the state of Alaska, Department of Community and Regional Affairs, to address the commercial fisheries failure in the Bristol Bay and Kuskokwim regions of Alaska The award was made under section 312 (a) of the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, which authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to make funds available for assistance to address a commercial fishery failure caused by a fishery resource disaster of natural or undetermined causes, or man-made causes beyond the control of fishery managers to mitigate. A total of $9.33 million, including $7 million in federal funds and the required 25 percent match from the state, or $2.33 million, was awarded to DCRA.
"I realize that this year's poor returns indicate a continuation of this fishery disaster. I have received Governor Knowles' request for additional assistance due to this year's disastrous salmon return and will have the National Marine Fisheries Service review this request expeditiously. I will visit the region today to see firsthand the impacts this failure is having on the local communities," said Daley. "I am committed to continuing the close working relationship with Alaskan leaders to ensure that the health and welfare of the people of these regions and the fisheries resource upon which they depend receive the assistance necessary to fully recover from this unfortunate experience."
"I am also proud of the efforts of my employees in NOAA and its Fisheries Service, who worked closely with their state counterparts in developing a program that will help the residents of the Bristol Bay and Kuskokwim regions," said Daley.
Daley said the Commerce Department's National Marine Fisheries Service is seeking answers to the cause of the fishery failure. Fisheries service managers are also discussing the feasibility of a salmon sampling program in Asian markets to determine the origin of the salmon and assess whether illegally harvested Alaska-origin salmon is appearing there with foreign labels. Additionally, bilateral talks about salmon caught in Russian waters are being planned by the United States and the Russian Federation. The U.S. is currently awaiting a formal response from Russia about the timing and venue of the meeting.