NOAA Fisheries recently approved Washington State’s CARES Act fisheries disaster relief spend plan, beginning a 45-day application period. Applications will need to be uploaded to the PSMFC’s website by 5:00 p.m. PST on March 25, 2021 or postmarked on March 25, 2021. The Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) will review applications and distribute funds to qualifying applicants and anticipates making payments in May 2021. Many commercial fishermen who are Washington state residents and commercial fish in Alaska will be eligible. Alaska’s spend plan, which also provides eligibility to Washington state residents in some circumstances, is still under review by NOAA Fisheries.
Washington’s spend plan authorizes direct payments to fishery participants. There is one pool for the $38.5 million allocated to non-tribal commercial fishing, shellfish aquaculture, seafood processing and charter industry participants. The state anticipates a variety of claims from fishery and seafood related businesses that range from small sole proprietorships to large corporations. Because of this variability, direct payment amounts are uncertain and will depend on the total number of claims. Washington expects claimed losses to exceed funds and its spend plan provides several scaling measures that proportionally reduce payments to ensure distribution across the range of eligible applicants. In the unlikely event of a surplus, a second application period will open.
The spend plan sets a qualifying period for losses incurred as a direct or indirect result of COVID between January 1 and July 31, 2020, whether for the full seven months or any partial consecutive period of four weeks or more. Applicants must self-certify a 35 percent gross revenue loss for their fishery business in 2020 compared to average revenue for the same time frame from 2015-2019. The spend plan provides several options for fishermen without the full five-year fishing history to calculate their revenue losses. Applicants will need to compile and retain the documentation needed to report the claimed revenue loss but will not have to submit those records to the PSMFC.
Washington state residents who commercial fish in Alaska are eligible to apply if they have an Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission vessel license or permit or IFQ permit for crab, halibut or sablefish, and their Washington residence is the listed address. Fishermen who have received other forms of CARES Act assistance are eligible to apply but must certify that the sum of aid received and traditional revenue will not exceed their average annual revenue earned over the past five years.
The PSMFC recommends that all applicants review the spend plan before filling out the application. Commercial fishermen can direct residency and other questions direct to the PSMFC by email at WACares@psmfc.org or by phone at 1-866-990-2738. The PSMFC’s spend plan website is available here:
https://www.psmfc.org/cares-act-the-coronavirus-aid-relief-and-economic-security-act
Washington spend plan and application are available at the following links:
http://www.psmfc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/SPEND-PLAN_FINAL_WA_20210122.pdf
http://www.psmfc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/WA-CARES-Act-Application-20210208_FINAL.pdf
ALFA is providing overviews of these programs as general information for commercial fishermen. This information is not legal or financial advice. ALFA urges individuals interested in these programs to contact the PSMFC, their attorney or accountant for specific advice regarding eligibility for their particular situation.