Secretary Locke today announced the awarding of $5 million in federal disaster relief to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission to assist with the recovery of fishing communities and fisheries from a commercial fishery failure in the Yukon River Chinook salmon fishery.
The Commission will use the funding, which Congress approved and the President signed as part of Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2010, to provide financial assistance to Yukon River salmon fishermen and to pay for replacing one type of fishing gear with another that allows for more adult females to swim upriver and spawn.
While the reasons for the decline in Chinook salmon are not completely understood, scientists believe changes in ocean and river conditions, including unfavorable shifts in temperatures and food sources, are likely factors.
The Commerce secretary’s determination led the way for Congress to approve disaster funding as part of the Supplemental Budget bill, which was signed into law by President Obama on July 29.
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Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
