'Thompson pushes for speedy distribution of emergency funding for the Pacific salmon industry'

Ukiah Daily Journal

WASHINGTON -- Following the president's signature on emergency disaster relief for the Pacific salmon industry, North Coast Congressman Mike Thompson quickly assembled members of Congress from California and Oregon to ensure the funding is promptly distributed.

"The president's approval of this disaster relief is long overdue," said Thompson. "The administration's failed water policies resulted in our country's largest commercial salmon fishery disaster, and North Coast residents have suffered because of it. Our salmon fishermen and businesses will finally get the aid they desperately need."

The $60.4 million in emergency funding will be distributed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency, which has regulatory jurisdiction over the nation's fishing industries. Thompson and members of the state congressional delegations formally invited Dr. William Hogarth, director of NOAA Fisheries, to a meeting in Washington, D.C. to discuss how and when those affected by the disaster will receive aid.

"We've been working for the past two years to get this funding, and now that we have it, we can't waste another minute getting it to our salmon fishermen and related-businesses," continued Thompson. "We worked extremely hard to secure this funding and we'll work just as hard to make sure it gets to the right people, right away."

He said the fisheries disaster was due to irresponsible federal management of the Klamath River, which caused 80,000 adult salmon to die in 2002.

Since then, the salmon population has continued to deteriorate, forcing the Pacific Fisheries Management Council to sizably reduce the fishing seasons in 2005 and 2006. As a result, the commercial fishing season was cut by more than 90 percent last year, costing fishing families and associated fishing businesses more than $60 million.

The disaster relief was passed by both the House and Senate last Thursday and signed by the president on Friday as part of a larger emergency supplemental spending bill. The salmon industry funding provision was based on a bill introduced by Thompson in January.