PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Washington’s U.S. Sen. Patty Murray announced that Washington tribes will receive over $16 million in disaster assistance funding.
According to a news release, this funding is supposed to support tribes following fishery disasters from the past several years. KOIN 6 News has previously reported on fishery complications throughout the Pacific Northwest caused by invasive frog species and the rising shad fish population.
“Wild salmon populations in Washington state are declining on the whole and threatening our ecosystems and local economies—and it’s disproportionately harming Washington state Tribes,” Murray said in a statement. “This funding will help our Tribes recover the losses they’ve experienced through no fault of their own. I’m going to do absolutely everything I can in the other Washington. Get our tribes and our fisheries the resources they need to support their communities and have productive, healthy harvests. Healthy fisheries have to be an ongoing policy priority at every level of government, and I’m committed to doing my part in the Senate.”
This funding isn’t the first time there has been an effort to support the recovery of endangered salmon species: $300 million were provided for fisheries through the CARES Act, as well as $255 million in the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act.
Here is a list of the Washington state fisheries and tribes who are receiving funding, and which year of disaster the relief is for:
- Washington Fraser River and Skagit River Salmon Fisheries, Swinomish, Tulalip, Upper Skagit Tribes (2019) – $4,154,358
- Washington Fraser River Sockeye, Chinook, Chum, Coho, and Pink Salmon Fishery, Lummi Nation (2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019) – $11,460,882
- Washington Puget Sound Fall Chum Salmon Fishery, Squaxin Island Tribe (2019) – $411,508
- Washington Fraser River Sockeye and Puget Sound Chum, and Coho Salmon Fishery, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe (2014 and 2019) — $550,599
The funds were made available through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act.