February 26, 2021 — Alaska’s plan to pay out nearly $50 million to the fishing industry for pandemic relief has been approved by the federal government.
That’s after two major revisions and more than 200 public comments from every industry sector.
“It really was a balance between getting the funds out quickly and developing a spending plan with the input of affected fishery participants,” Alaska Department of Fish and Game Deputy Commissioner Rachel Baker told CoastAlaska.
Final details were released on Thursday. Commercial applicants will need to show that the COVID-19 pandemic caused them at least a 35% loss in revenue last year. Applications will be accepted during a two-month window that opens March 1. Payments could come as early as June.
Baker says a major change to the final plan now excludes commercial permit holders who live in other Pacific states like Washington and Oregon.
“Non-Alaska resident commercial harvesters who fish up here but live in a state that received a CARES Act allocation must apply to their state of residence,” she said. “They’re not eligible to apply to the state of Alaska for a funds.”