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| Federal government offers aid salmon fishermen By Mark Noack [ mark@hmbreview.com ] Published/Last Modified on Thursday, September 18, 2008 2:10 PM PDT The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Wednesday that it is making $100 million of disaster-relief aid available to West Coast fishermen. Pacific fishermen, including dozens of professional Coastside anglers, have taken a grievous financial hit this year from a federal ban on salmon fishing, which provided as much as 70 percent of their annual income. The ban was enacted in order to replenish very low numbers of Chinook salmon in the Sacramento River and other waterways in Oregon and Washington. Passed as part of a massive farm bill, Congress originally slated $170 million for disaster aid for the fishermen. Oregon Rep. Peter DeFazio alleged that amount was reduced by the Bush administration to cover costs associated with the 2010 census. According to the NOAA, California will receive $63 million of the aid package, which is intended to provide relief to permitted fishermen and various businesses dependent the salmon industry. Applications for aid money are available at the website of the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, http://www.psmfc.org/. |