Jared Huffman calls for last year’s salmon relief funds to be expedited

June 04, 2024

U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman co-sent a letter to federal administrators on Tuesday calling for disaster relief funding to be allocated quicker for the state’s salmon fishery closure in 2023. A year later and no disaster funds have been distributed, and fishermen face another closed season.

“California’s commercial, sport, and charter fishers, tribes, businesses, restaurants, and the communities who depend upon the salmon fishery cannot afford to wait any longer for the relief needed to weather the ongoing crises,” the letter writers said, which include reps.Huffman, Jimmy Panetta and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla.

In the letter, the authors said any acceleration of the process for funds to be distributed to fishers and affected communities would be highly beneficial, calling on the urgent attention of two administrators the letter is addressed to (Director of the United States Office of Management and Budget Shalanda Young and Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator Dr. Richard Spinrad).

Historically, federal disaster aid for fishing disasters has taken years to reach the pockets of fishermen. The season was closed this year, the fourth in California’s history, for largely the same conditions in 2023: low salmon counts. In press releases, the Golden State Salmon Association cited the failure of water management to keep fish eggs in 2021 and 2020 cool, while the California Department of Fish and Wildlife pointed to the multi-year drought conditions the now adult fish were reared under.

The letter writers point out that Newsom’s office requested a federal fisheries disaster last year after the closure of the season. They point to $300 million in the fiscal year 2024 appropriations bill for the fishery disaster declaration.

“California has submitted its spend plan to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the agencies have 90 days by which to grant the funds to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission for disbursement. However, due to the dramatic impacts on fishing communities from the 2023 total closure and the likelihood of 2024’s total closure of the fishery leading to another federal disaster, we ask that your agencies expedite their review,” the letter said.

Huffman has previously noted the need for urgency of federal aid during disasters.


By:  Sage Alexander
Source: Eureka Times Standard