March 6, 2025 — State officials are seeking millions of dollars in financial relief funds for six salmon fisheries disasters in 2024, including one in Prince William Sound.
In his letter of Jan. 28 to Acting Commerce Secretary Jeremy Pelter, Gov. Mike Dunleavy noted that there was an unexpectedly large decrease in the harvest of pink and chum salmon in 2024 in the Prince William Sound salmon fisheries.
The harvests of 9.95 million pink salmon and 1.70 million chum salmon were below the recent five-year averages by 75% and 57% respectively.
Preliminary data estimates the financial value of the 2024 Prince William Sound pink and chum salmon fisheries were also below the recent five-year average – 78% to 88% respectively – and that estimated losses totaled more than $85 million.
The federal government has already acknowledged the request for funding for the Kotzebue area and more acknowledgements are anticipated for requests for Prince William Sound pink and chum fisheries, Lower Cook Inlet pink salmon, Kodiak pink salmon, and Alaska Peninsula sockeye and South Peninsula pinks.