The Secretary of Commerce has determined that a fishery resource disaster occurred in the 2023–2024 Bering Sea snow crab fishery in Alaska. The determination is in response to requests from Saint Paul, Alaska Mayor Jacob Merculief, and Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy.
Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo, working with NOAA Fisheries, evaluates each fishery resource disaster request based primarily on data submitted by the requesting official. A fishery resource disaster determination must meet specific requirements under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. For example, there must be economic impacts and an unexpected large decrease in fish stock biomass or other change. These impacts result in significant loss of access to the fishery resource resulting from specific allowable causes due to the fishery resource disaster event.
This positive determination makes these fisheries eligible for disaster assistance from NOAA. Fishery participants may also qualify for disaster assistance from the Small Business Administration.
