The Secretary of Commerce has determined that fishery resource disasters occurred in the 2024 Sacramento River Fall Chinook and Klamath River Fall Chinook salmon fisheries and the 2023 Squaxin Island Tribe Puget Sound fall chum salmon fishery. The determinations are in response to requests from Acting California Governor, Eleni Kounalakis and Chairman Kristopher Peters.
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 Conservation and Management Act. For example, there must be economic impacts and an unexpected, large decrease in fish stock biomass or other change that results in significant loss of access to the fishery resource resulting from specific allowable causes due to the fishery resource disaster event.
These positive determinations make these fisheries eligible for disaster assistance from NOAA. At present, there are no standing funds specifically designated for fishery resource disasters. Fishery participants may also qualify for disaster assistance from the Small Business Administration.
