NOAA to allocate $21.3 million in support of California’s beleaguered commercial salmon fishery

California’s troubled commercial salmon fleet, fishing this year for the first time since 2022, is in store for some federal disaster aid after the Trump administration announced it would allocate $21.3 million to support the state’s beleaguered fishery.

The June 17 announcement by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, follows years of requests for help from a West Coast industry still reeling after a historic closure that banned all California salmon fishing in 2023, 2024 and 2025 due to low ocean forecasts of returning fish.

California lawmakers first requested assistance from the Biden administration in April 2023, eventually securing $20.6 million in February 2024 to offset losses. California officials and industry representatives stressed it was not enough.

About $90 million in revenue was lost from the first two closed seasons, according to estimates in aid requests from the Governor’s Office, which emphasized that far more funding is needed.

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