September 19, 2024 — Alaska State Representative Sarah Vance is calling on the state government to request a federal fishery disaster declaration following low salmon returns in Prince William Sound, Kodiak, Upper Cook Inlet, Lower Cook Inlet, South Peninsula, and Chignik.
“The unprecedented low return of pink salmon has left many fishermen without income, while others are burdened with significant debt from this disastrous season,” Vance said in a letter to Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy. “For those whose livelihoods depend on the salmon harvest, this is an economic crisis with profound and far-reaching impacts.”