Padilla, Huffman Call on Administration to Declare Federal Fishery Disaster
Letter highlights urgent need to get aid to Californians impacted by salmon season closure
SAN RAFAEL, CA — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla and Representative Jared Huffman (both D-Calif.) led their colleagues in an urgent letter to President Joe Biden and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo calling on them to move swiftly to declare a federal fishery disaster, joining California Governor Gavin Newsom in his request.
In their letter, the lawmakers point out that the closure of the fishery for the 2023 season will be catastrophic to fishers, tribes, businesses, restaurants, and families who depend upon a healthy salmon fishery. They urge the President to declare a disaster so that assistance secured in the Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations can be made available to California communities.
“The closure of this vital fishery will have far-reaching consequences for commercial, recreational, and charter fishers, tribes, businesses, restaurants, and families who depend upon a healthy salmon fishery for subsistence. In response to the closure, on April 6, Governor Gavin Newsom submitted a request to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to declare a fishery disaster for the 2023 chinook salmon season. We appreciate the Governor’s support and humbly ask that your Administration move swiftly to declare a federal fishery disaster,” the members state in their letter.
“Californians who depend on the fishery will be immediately affected and have no time to wait for these long-term objectives to be achieved. A federal fishery disaster declaration will help our commercial and charter fisheries, tribes, and communities survive the difficult times ahead,” they said.
In addition to Representative Huffman and Senator Padilla, the letter was signed by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Representatives Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.-44), Ami Bera (D-Calif.-06), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.-24), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.-10), Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.-16), John Garamendi (D-Calif.-08), Josh Harder (D-Calif.-09), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.-51), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.-37), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.-18), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.-07), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.-15), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.-19), Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.-11), Katie Porter (D-Calif.-47), Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.-25), and Mike Thompson (D-Calif.-04).
A copy of the letter can be found here and below:
Dear Mr. President:
A thriving Chinook salmon fishery is crucial for California’s coastal economy and culture. For a myriad of reasons, Chinook salmon populations have fallen far below historic levels, and the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) took the unfortunate but necessary step of closing the fishery for the 2023 season. The closure of this vital fishery will have far-reaching consequences for commercial, recreational, and charter fishers, tribes, businesses, restaurants, and families who depend upon a healthy salmon fishery for subsistence. In response to the closure, on April 6, Governor Gavin Newsom submitted a request to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to declare a fishery disaster for the 2023 chinook salmon season. We appreciate the Governor’s support and humbly ask that your Administration move swiftly to declare a federal fishery disaster.
The chinook salmon fishery has a profound economic value, impacting not only fish sales but also related businesses, including restaurants, bait and tackle shops, charter fishing guides, campgrounds, and more. Our communities will be hurting from this lack of revenue, and the subsistence users of the fishery will need assistance to feed their families. A federal fishery disaster declaration will not replace this essential cultural resource, but disaster dollars will provide some relief to affected businesses and families.
In the Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill, Congress was able to secure an additional $300 million for fishery disaster declarations, and we ask that a portion of these funds go towards affected Californians. Additionally, Congress authorized new bipartisan fishery disaster relief language based on Congressman Jared Huffman and Senator Roger Wicker’s Fishery Resource Disasters Improvement Act. This language should streamline the process for declaring a federal fishery disaster and help to quickly provide relief to affected communities. It also extends eligibility for federal fishery disaster funds not only to commercial fisheries, but also to charter fishing businesses and impacted tribes, all of which will be sorely in need due to this salmon closure.
The closure of the California salmon fishery is a crisis. It remains unclear how long the salmon fishery will need to be closed, and we know there is much work ahead of us. The long-term solutions will include improving our drought resiliency, restoring salmon habitat, and of course, addressing the climate crisis. We look forward to continuing our work with your Administration on these goals. However, Californians who depend on the fishery will be immediately affected and have no time to wait for these long-term objectives to be achieved. A federal fishery disaster declaration will help our commercial and charter fisheries, tribes, and communities survive the difficult times ahead.
Thank you for your attention to this important issue.
Sincerely,
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