Salmon Disaster Relief Bill in Danger of Sinking

pcffa NEWS

NEWS RELEASE from the
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations
PO Box 29370, San Francisco, CA 94129-0370
Tel: (415) 561-5080 Fax: (415) 561-5464

Distribution: All Media Press Release: 3-06
Contact: Zeke Grader (415) 561-5080 Release Date: 31 August 2006
Cell: (415) 606-5140

Dave Bitts: (707) 498-3512

Salmon Disaster Relief Bill in Danger of Sinking
During Final Hours of Legislative Session

San Francisco, August 31 - Legislation aimed at providing some state aide to California’s beleaguered salmon fishing families and their dependent communities and businesses, is in danger of sinking in the final hours of this year’s California legislative session

A relief package, similar to one put in place earlier this year by Oregon, had been crafted by the Governor and a bi-partisan group of legislators but has run afoul of the Assembly Speaker’s office that has refused to grant the legislation a hearing or let any funds for salmon disaster relief off the Assembly floor.

“The salmon fishery along the West Coast is reeling from the devastating closures that were imposed due to massive fish die-offs that have occurred in the Klamath River since 2002,” said Zeke Grader, Executive Director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations. “The fish kills were not the fault of fishermen, but the federal government’s response was to severely restrict fishing along the West Coast resulting in a loss of 90 percent or more of salmon fishermen’s income.”

In response to the restrictions placed on the fishery last year and the even more severe restrictions placed on commercial and tribal fishermen this year, the governors of California and Oregon declared their states’ fisheries a disaster. The U.S. Secretary of Commerce subsequently declared a fishery failure for West Coast salmon that may help to open up some forms of badly-needed federal financial help for fishermen.

Working with the Governor’s office, a bill was crafted, SB 1127, sponsored by Senators Wes Chesbro (D-Arcata), Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley) and Assemblymember Patty Berg (D-Eureka), to provide approximately $25 million in loans and grants to help fishing families and businesses. The measure had broad bi-partisan support and included many coastal co-authors. A problem with one of the bill’s funding sources, the Boating & Waterways revolving loan fund account, was resolved when a transfer of monies from that fund was dropped and there was no known opposition to the relief package.

Although the state funds are seen as just part of an overall package aimed at financially assisting fishing communities and fixing the fish problems in the Klamath that are the root cause of the disaster, they are considered important said Grader.

“It will be hard to argue for the millions we need in federal assistance for the West Coast if California does nothing,” said Grader. “Oregon has put up state funds and now it’s California’s turn.”

At stake, says the fishing association, are the boats, the homes, and the futures of hundreds of fishermen who have worked long and hard to rebuild salmon stocks. Fishermen and legislative leaders are expressing anger and frustration over the actions of the Department of Commerce and its National Marine Fisheries Service in causing the Klamath fish disaster in the first place and then failing to acknowledge the problem for more than two years. Now some of that anger is being voiced against the Speaker and his staff for their insensitivity on the issue.

“I can’t believe a Democratic leader of a Democratic-led legislature would turn his back on a whole class of working people and basically abandon them to die,” said Eureka fisherman Dave Bitts. “Disaster relief is a bi-partisan cause, involving two governors from different parties and legislators from both sides of the aisle. For the Speaker to try to blame the Governor for the failure to get this much needed relief passed stinks of the kind of partisan bickering and gamesmanship that has the whole state disgusted with Sacramento and everyone in the town.”

Grader said he was still hopeful the Speaker would agree to a disaster package, but said “hopes are dimming with every hour that goes by as we wind down the Legislative session this evening.”

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