More Relief Squeezed From Senate For Salmon Fishers
By Zachary Coile, San Francisco Chronicle
July 14, 2006

Washington -- California and Oregon lawmakers on Thursday persuaded Senate appropriators to approve $10 million in relief for West Coast salmon fishermen who are reeling financially from the nearly complete closure of the fishery by the federal government.

The Senate Appropriations Committee's disaster-relief package, which still must be passed by the full Senate, was $8 million more than the House approved two weeks ago after West Coast lawmakers staged a protest over the plight of salmon fishermen along the Pacific Coast.

But the proposed aid is still far short of the $81 million that state officials say is needed to help coastal fishing communities cope with the government's decision to sharply restrict this year's commercial salmon catch to protect critically low salmon stocks in the Klamath River.

"While I am pleased we were able to get these initial funds, our work is far from over," said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.

The Bush administration, shifting its position under pressure from West Coast officials, declared a fishery disaster last week for the coastal region stretching from Point Falcon in Oregon to south of the Monterey Bay. The move enabled fishermen and other coastal business owners to apply for low-interest Small Business Administration disaster loans.

But Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski are pressing lawmakers in Washington to come up with a much more robust aid package. Schwarzenegger has announced $5 million in grants for affected fishing communities, and Oregon is offering $3.2 million in aid.

The Commerce Department ordered the fishing reductions after the Pacific Fishery Management Council, a federal advisory board, in April recommended an almost-complete shutdown of the commercial salmon catch along 400 miles of the coast. The council found that the number of naturally spawning chinook -- or king -- salmon in the Klamath River had for the third straight year fallen below the level called for in the fishery management plan.

The impact has been felt in coastal communities from Bodega Bay and Fort Bragg in California to Florence, Ore., where fishermen are struggling to make their boat payments and mortgages. Fishermen are especially frustrated because the salmon from the Sacramento River -- which account for 90 percent of the ocean catch in California -- are running at their highest levels in decades.

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Salmon Trollers Get Access to Loans
By Peter Sleeth, The Oregonian
July 07, 2006

The Bush administration declared a disaster for the salmon fishery covering 700 miles of the Oregon and Northern California coasts late Thursday, immediately offering federal loans -- but no cash payments -- to commercial fishermen.

The action, which falls short of a full-scale disaster aid declaration, brought swift condemnation from Gov. Ted Kulongoski, who derided it as window dressing and a failure to provide immediate relief to a fishing industry in crisis.

"The fishers need help. The governor is very disappointed," said Lonn Hoklin, a spokesman for the governor. "He wishes the government would step up."

Thursday's federal designation follows by several weeks a disaster declaration by Oregon -- something that did little to open state coffers. But Thursday's federal action now gives more steam to efforts in Congress to allocate millions of dollars in direct payments to fishermen and coastal businesses.

Trollers from central California to northern Oregon are being forced to drastically reduce their catch so that fishery managers can protect dwindling runs of Klamath River salmon.

Because Klamath River salmon can be found in the ocean north and south of the mouth of the river in Northern California, fishery experts have reduced all fishing to minimize the catch.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez on Thursday said he will send senior aides next week to gather information in Oregon and California communities to see whether a full-scale commercial fishery disaster is necessary.

Significantly, Gutierrez also asked the governors of Oregon and California to see whether they could use federal grants designed to assist in salmon recovery efforts to help the fishermen themselves. Oregon received $6.5 million this year in grants that could be used -- in total or in part -- to help fishing communities.

In Congress, the reception to the declaration was somewhat warmer than in Salem.

U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, said the federal declaration will give him and others in Congress help in getting federal money for cash distribution to those affected by the fishery closure.

"People are hurting; some are losing their boats or on the verge of it," DeFazio said. "This gives us legislative standing to request funds."

In a statement, Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., said: "We now have fewer hurdles in the way of helping our fishermen. The focus can now turn to securing aid. These new resources will be helpful, especially in maintaining the fishing industry's infrastructure."

Thus far, fishing has been poor off the Oregon coast, even on days allowed for salmon trolling. Rough weather and a thin catch are stretching the finances of fishermen.

"Nobody is making any money on salmon this year," said Al Ritter, a salmon troller who fishes out of Newport.

Although the cries for disaster assistance have been loud and long since fishing was cutback in April, little real help has arrived.

At the governor's request, the legislative Emergency Board agreed in June to spend as much as $3.2 million to provide employment and financial assistance.

Three bills have been introduced in Congress asking for more than $80 million to pay trollers for their losses. None has had any success. Similar appeals for help to the Bush administration have also gone unanswered -- until Thursday.

Last week, a procedural slowdown in Congress by members of the Oregon and California delegations forced the House to provide $2 million for salmon trollers in an amendment to an annual spending bill. While the move provides no immediate relief, lawmakers hope the amount can be increased in the Senate.

DeFazio said the amendment is the most likely venue for increased disaster money.

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and as defined under the provisions of "fair use", any copyrighted material herein is distributed without profit or payment for non-profit research and for educational use by our membership.