Alaska News

Alaska fisheries disaster aid tucked into Superstorm Sandy recovery bill

On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee released a Hurricane Sandy Supplemental Funding bill, which included $150 million for fishery disaster relief and $56 million for marine debris efforts to be shared by several states, including Alaska.

According to the National Review Online, both Alaska U.S. senators, Democratic Mark Begich and Republican Lisa Murkowski, support the incoming aid. In a statement Sen. Begich said that both the salmon shortfall and tsunami debris problem are "very real and very serious disasters." He added that the fisheries disaster was declared so "by the federal government" in September, but that Alaskans are "still waiting for relief." And, although Japan generously gifted $5 million to help with the tsunami clean up, debris still "poses serious navigational hazards and risks to coastal communities" in Alaska.

Sen. Murkowski backed Sen. Begich up with a press release supporting aid to both disasters. Murkowski said:

She added:

The $150 million from the Hurricane Sandy Supplemental Funding bill for fisheries and marine debris will be split between Alaska, the Gulf of Mexico and New England.

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Craig Medred

Craig Medred is a former writer for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2015.

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