2018 Gulf of Alaska Pacific Cod
Disaster Funds Distributed
On October 30, 2019, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce made a disaster determination for the 2018 Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod fishery under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. On February 27, 2020, the Secretary of Commerce allocated $24.4 million to address losses to the Gulf of Alaska management area affected by the fishery failure. The State of Alaska, in consultation with stakeholders and NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, drafted a spend plan and forwarded the plan to Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC), the administrator of the federal grant for the disaster funds. The application period opened in late November 20221, and distribution of direct payments to harvesters and processors was completed early May 2022.
The spend plan allocated funds to help partially restore losses to fishery participants impacted by the 2018 Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod fishery disaster and for research. Research funds were distributed after a competitive bid for scientific research projects that provide information to help fishery scientists and managers to assess GOA Pacific cod stock conditions and develop conservation and management measures for the GOA Pacific cod fishery in response to warm water and other variable ocean conditions.