Disaster for Cook Inlet kings

MAT-SU — Alaska fisheries have a king-sized problem, and the federal government agrees.

That acknowledgement came Thursday when the U.S. Department of Commerce declared a resource disaster for Chinook (king) salmon in the Yukon River, Kuskokwin River and Upper Cook Inlet fisheries. The disaster declaration comes less than a month after Gov. Sean Parnell sent a letter to Acting Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank stating that continued low numbers of salmon returning to the fisheries’ rivers and tributaries have had devastating impacts on the state’s sport and commercial fishing industries.

“Today’s declaration demonstrates that we have clearly made our case to the federal government and they see the disastrous impacts of low salmon runs on our state,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski said in a press release announcing the decision. “Fisheries are critical to our economy, our culture and our lifestyle. The anemic king runs this season have hurt numerous areas in our state and deserve attention and assistance from the federal government.”

Just what that assistance might be is what Valley businesses that rely on the sport fishing industry are wondering, said Mike Hudson, owner of 3 Rivers Fly & Tackle in Wasilla. The longtime tackle shop operator said this past season was one of the worst he can remember for both king and coho (silver) salmon. He estimated his business was down about 50 percent for the summer. He said he was encouraged Thursday when he learned about the federal government’s decision.

“My reaction was I was pretty sure that it was going to go through,” he said. “But what kind of aid or benefit is that going to be for business owners? As far as them stepping up and actually going forward and responding to what’s very clear — (the) simple fact that our king salmon runs in the Mat-Su area are declining.”

While the disaster designation is required to free up federal relief money for businesses like Hudson’s and fishing guides, it’s only the first step, said Christine Patrick, a spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees the federal Office of Sustainable Fisheries. It takes an act of Congress to actually determine how much, if any, money is appropriated for relief and what the criteria for that relief will be.

“When NOAA determines a disaster has happened, it opens the door for Congress to determine a program,” Patrick said. “Once they do that, then they’ll have to decide how people will get the money. … So, for people who are wondering, ‘how do I get the money,’ there isn’t any yet.”

She said her agency also will work to determine what factors led up to the current crisis and how to mitigate those from happening again.

“If Congress appropriates disaster relief funding, NOAA will work with the state of Alaska, the Alaska Federation of Natives and the affected communities to develop an appropriate economic spending plan that would support additional science to understand the underlying causes of this disaster, prevent a similar failure in the future and assist the affected fishing communities,” she said.

Along with Alaska, NOAA also declared two other areas as fisheries-related disasters, one in New England and another in the Gulf of Mexico. Although Alaska’s delegation hasn’t announced what it will ask for, U.S. Sen. John Kerry has already said he has committed to include $100 million in emergency assistance legislation for fishing communities affected in New England, according to the Associated Press.

In the release announcing the disaster declaration, the Alaska delegation stresses this is the “first step of a lengthy process” and that while it came quickly after Governor Parnell’s request, “a decision and disbursement of funds can take over a year.”

While pleased the dire state of Alaska’s wild king salmon returns is being addressed, Hudson said he’s discouraged that it takes a disaster to elicit a response to protect the resource.

“I’ve been screaming warnings about this day coming for the better part of 12 or 13 years,” he said. “Instead of treating (salmon stocks) like crisis management, there was really no forward thinking or action to prevent this day from happening. The bottom line is, if the fish don’t get back into the streams, they don’t come back.”

Hudson said his business is surviving, but that he’s talked with many fishing guides who aren’t doing well at all. Because king salmon season was restricted this year, many spent their time refunding advance bookings.

“It’s a dramatic impact this year,” Hudson said. “My sales during the king season were down 50 percent, if not more, than five years ago when the king run was strong. I wish I had kept track of how many phone calls I got from people who called up, asked how the kings were doing and cancelled their trips when I gave them an honest answer.”

Just where any potential federal relief would be available for commercial, sport fish or other supporting industries is unknown, but Hudson said he’s getting by and isn’t sure he would apply for aid if it was available to him.

“I just will have to see what it looks like or even if there’s funding available for businesses like mine,” he said. “I’d rather see some of those who were hit really hard (get it). It’s not at the point now where it’s going to put me out of business, but boy, it hurt.”

For the Valley sport fishing industry, Thursday’s announcement could potentially lead to some financial relief, Andy Couch, owner of Fishtale River Guides and a member of the Mat-Su Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission, said last month after Parnell requested the designation. He said he’s hoping the federal guidelines that outline relief for commercial entities includes other commercial operators affected by the emergency and not just commercial fishing.

Closing Cook Inlet waters to king fishing this season cost his business about $10,000 in refunded bookings, Couch said, and others even more.

“There’s certainly been a lot of people affected by the king salmon,” he said. “Some of the lodging places have given money back on reservations. The traffic has just been dismal with the ban on kings.”

While federal relief would be appreciated, Couch feels the money could be used more wisely to protect the resource better at the state level.

“I don’t know that I need something like that,” he said. “What I need is monies for better management of the fishery for the Department of Fish and Game.”

Hudson agrees, adding that the state Department of Fish and Game needs to do more to protect wild salmon resources before they reach disaster levels.

“I don’t want to lose that, and it would be an absolutely horrible crime, because it can be prevented,” he said. “The real crime is poor resource management in not being responsible to the resource.”

Contact reporter Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.