NOAA sends $277M to Alaska fisheries after years of delays

The Biden administration has released $277 million in fishery disaster aid to Alaska that was held up for years by a problem-plagued software update at NOAA.

The release of long-awaited disaster assistance dollars will help communities affected by 10 disasters that contributed to the collapse of critical commercial species, including cod, crab and salmon that drive the state’s multibillion-dollar fisheries economy.

Half of those disasters — including sharp declines in Copper River and Prince William Sound salmon dating to 2018 — preceded the Biden administration and were to be paid with funds already appropriated by Congress.

The allocations were approved by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, who in February 2022 wrote to Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy saying that disaster aid requested as early as 2021 would be received by Alaska authorities “in the near future.” More than two years after that letter and six years after the first reported disasters occurred, the money is on its way, Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola (D) confirmed Friday.