October 6, 2021 — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown is asking the federal government for disaster relief for the state’s struggling commercial salmon industry.
The governor submitted the formal aid request Monday to the U.S. Department of Commerce. In her letter Brown said the economic return from commercial salmon fishing along most of the coast since 2018 has been less than one-third of what it was in prior years. This continuing trend, she said in the letter, is having severe effects on already distressed rural communities and businesses that depend on salmon.
Brown said salmon are a vital component for the state’s natural resources and provide significant commercial, recreational, economic and aesthetic benefits. Salmon are also very important for Native American tribes in the region.
“While economic assistance will be essential to address the impacts of closures and restrictions on our salmon fisheries, it is vitally important that federal, state, tribal, and local governments continue to work together to recover and restore salmon populations and develop management strategies to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of our salmon fisheries,” she said in the letter.