Wednesday January 8, 2025
Alaska’s New Service —
The FISHES Act, which expedites the distribution of federal disaster relief following fishery disaster declarations, was signed into law over the weekend by President Joe Biden.
The FISHES (Fishery Improvement to Streamline Untimely Regulatory Hurdles Post Emergency Situation) Act establishes procedures for reviewing spending plans submitted to the Department of Commerce by those seeking fishery resource disaster assistance funding.
Previously, the Office of Management and Budget had a 15-step process when overseeing a fishery disaster.
“Rapidly changing ocean conditions in recent years has led to significantly more federal fishery disaster declarations in Alaska, and it takes years to receive disaster monies,” Alaska Whitefish Trawlers Executive Director Rebecca Skinner said in a statement.
Skinner said relief payments have still yet to reach the pockets of Alaska Pacific Cod fishermen, even though the Gulf of Alaska Pacific Cod fishery was declared a disaster back in 2020.