BRIEF: South Sound tribes eligible for disaster funding because of poor fishing

Jan. 23--The Nisqually and Squaxin Island tribes are among those eligible for federal disaster funding because of poor fishing seasons in 2015 and 2016.

Congress now needs to appropriate relief funds for the fisheries groups named by Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzer last week.

Each of the nine fisheries "experienced sudden and unexpected large decreases in fish stock biomass due to unusual ocean and climate conditions," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a news release. "This decision enables fishing communities to seek disaster relief assistance from Congress."

The declaration includes:

-- Nisqually Indian Tribe, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe, and Squaxin Island Tribe South Puget Sound salmon fisheries (2015)

-- Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay coho

-- Quinault Indian Nation Grays Harbor and Queets River coho salmon fishery (2015)

-- Ocean salmon troll fishery (2016)

-- Fraser River Makah Tribe and Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe sockeye salmon fisheries (2014)

-- Quileute Tribe Dungeness crab fishery (2015-2016)

The Daily World, Aberdeen contributed to this report.

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