3,200 people in the Kenai Peninsula sports fishing industry were encouraged to apply for a share of $4.6 million in disaster relief funds, but recent reports suggest few actually completed the process.
The 2012 King Salmon disaster netted $13 million in federal funds, thanks to efforts by U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski. The Kenai River Sportsfishing Association has been encouraging people to apply. Executive Director Ricky Gease….
Gease: “The applications went out to qualified businesses, whether they’re sport fishing guides, guide businesses, sport fishing related businesses, which would include lodging establishments, food establishments, sport related retail establishments, fly out charters, boat launches, etc, those went out in the beginning of March and the application is due May 29th.”
That deadline is tomorrow, but the Pacific Marine States Fisheries Commission recently reported just 50% of the eligible applicants have responded to the call.
The original disaster relief package was for $20.8 million; $4.6 million was distributed to commercial fishermen in the Cook Inlet in August of 2014. This second round of payments will go out as early as this July.
The entire $20.8 million was divided as follows…
Cook Inlet – $11.1 million
$4.6 million Cook Inlet commercial fishermen
$4.6 million Cook Inlet sports fishermen
$1.2 million salmon research in the Cook Inlet
$700,000 salmon buyers in Cook Inlet
Yukon-Kuskokwim – $9.7 million
$3.2 million for Yukon-Kuskokwim commercial fishermen
$6.5 million salmon research in the Yukon-Kuskokwim