California to get $46.4 million to help salmon fishermen
The Commerce Department will also send $6.7 million to Oregon to cope with the third fishery disaster in four years.
Associated Press
Los Angeles Times
05/01/2009
Washington -- The Commerce Department released $53 million to Oregon and California on Thursday to help West Coast salmon fishermen after the third fishery failure in four years.
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke declared the latest disaster in a letter to the governors of the two states. He cited a continued low number of fish returning to the Sacramento River in California. The river is the second-largest producer of salmon on the West Coast.
Locke released $53.1 million in unspent money from a fishery disaster declared last year. A total of $46.4 million will go to California and $6.7 million to Oregon.
Locke's decision opens the way for Congress to allocate more money for salmon fishermen. Congress appropriated $170 million in disaster aid in 2008 and $60 million in 2006...
