Salmon aid on the way

Eureka Times Standard

Fishermen and fishing businesses in the rut of a disastrous salmon season will see much-needed aid soon, after the federal government released relief funds Wednesday.

The National Marine Fisheries Service announced the release of $100 million of the $170 million Congress approved in July following a U.S. Commerce Department disaster declaration in May. The crisis stemmed from severely low runs of salmon to the Sacramento River, the cornerstone of the West Coast fishery.

Some $70 million will be diverted to help pay for higher than expected costs for the 2010 census, but Bush administration officials insisted it will only be delayed until a new budget year begins in October.

California will see most of the money -- $62 million -- distributed to hundreds of commercial and charter fishermen, processors and Sacramento River guides. The first checks are expected to go out on Oct. 1, said Randy Fisher, executive director of the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, which is disbursing the money to California, Oregon and Washington.

”We've been getting a lot of calls saying, 'When's it going to happen?'” Fisher said.

Applications for funds were sent out Tuesday, he said. The commission expects to send out checks to 1,301 salmon trollers, 135 charter fishermen, 186 processors and 575 to Sacramento River guides in California, Fisher said.

Sacramento River stocks have been the backbone of the salmon industry. Instead, it's been the Klamath River's salmon that generally prompt regulators to crimp fishing along the West Coast. In 2006, a disaster declaration prompted from severe cutbacks in fishing due to poor Klamath River returns led to the issuance of $60 million in assistance.

This year's cancellation of salmon season was farther ranging, and hit the sport fishing fleet and river guides on the Sacramento River hard, too.

Jim Caito with Caito Fisheries -- which has processing facilities in several California ports -- said salmon make up 50 to 55 percent of sales during the season. He didn't hire workers this year to handle salmon, he said.

Caito said the federal funds are important to keep businesses going.

”It'll get everybody through,” he said.

The fisheries commission will draw down on the money from Washington, D.C. weekly, and send out checks as they are processed.

”The salmon fishery has been a mainstay of the West Coast's ocean fishing revenues for many years,” said U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez in a statement. “This year's closure left thousands of fishermen and dependent businesses struggling to make ends meet. This disaster aid package of $100 million will help them get back on their feet.”

Some were critical of the use of salmon money -- part of a Farm Bill the White House vetoed only to be overruled -- for the census.

North Coast Congressman Mike Thompson accused the Bush administration of putting politics before people.

”Congress appropriated $170 million in federal disaster relief,” the St. Helena Democrat said, “but this latest proposal by the Bush Administration to withhold a large portion of these funds shows no regard for hardworking fishing families nor their livelihood.”