The bipartisan two-year Congressional budget signed by Pres. Donald Trump Friday includes $200 million in salmon disaster relief funds to benefit commercial, recreational and tribal fishermen on the Twin Harbors as well as the rest of the Washington coast, Alaska, Oregon and California.
“This is good news for Washington families and for our coastal communities,” said Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Gig Harbor). “I’ve been fighting for this funding for a year and a half because fisheries are a key part of the state’s economy and culture. Our communities urgently need help recovering from multiple disasters which have wreaked havoc on our state’s waters and the finances of the people who rely on them to make a living.”
Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Battle Ground) said, “Through no fault of their own, our fishermen are facing a disaster that is threatening the resources that they depend on for their livelihoods. Now Congress has to do its part to step in with disaster assistance for our coastal communities who fuel the economy and create jobs in Pacific County.”
The funding also had strong support from Washington senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell.
Since 2014, multiple natural conditions have had negative impacts on dthe region’s fisheries and coastal economies, leading to closures in the state’s commercial, recreational and tribal fisheries. The relief could be used to support investments that will encourage fishery recovery and job training, among other initiatives.
“Tribal cultures, economies and treaty-reserved rights are dependent on healthy natural resources. This is especially true for salmon, which are declining at an alarming rate because their habitat is disappearing faster than it can be restored,” said Lorraine Loomis, Chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. “This disaster relief funding will help to maintain our way of life as we work cooperatively to protect and restore salmon and other natural resources in western Washington.”
According to Greg Mueller, the Executive Director of the Washington Trollers Association, the disasters, particularly those experienced since 2016, caused economic distress for the commercial salmon fishermen in Westport, and the loss of income was felt community-wide.
