Commerce Secretary Announces Fishery Resource Disaster Determination for 2023 Klamath River Salmon Fishery

The Secretary of Commerce announced that a fishery resource disaster occurred in the 2023 Pulikla Tribe of Yurok People Klamath River subsistence salmon fishery. The determination is in response to the request from Ms. Fawn C. Murphy, Chairperson of the Pulikla Tribe of Yurok People.

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 disaster determination must meet specific requirements under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. For example, there must be 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. In addition, there must be economic or subsistence impacts.

This positive determination makes this fishery eligible for disaster assistance from NOAA. Fishery participants may also qualify for disaster assistance from the Small Business Administration. At present, there are no standing funds availablespecifically designated for fishery resource disasters.