The U.S. federal government has announced USD 240 million (EUR 222 million) in spending for fish hatcheries in the Pacific Northwest region of the country.
“Since time immemorial, Tribes in the Pacific Northwest have relied on Pacific salmon, steelhead, and other native fish species for sustenance and their cultural and spiritual ways of life,” U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said. “This funding will help us deliver historic investments from the president’s Investing in America agenda that will empower Indigenous communities and safeguard resources they have stewarded since time immemorial.”
The government immediately made USD 54 million (EUR 50 million) of the funding available to Pacific Northwest and Alaska Tribes for facility maintenance and modernization, while the rest of the funding will be made available competitively.
NOAA will partner with the Interior Department’s Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to allocate the funding to regional Tribes.
Restoring Pacific salmon populations to the Columbia River Basin has been a major focus of U.S. President Joe Biden. Last year, the government made USD 60 million (EUR 55 million) in Inflation Reduction Act funding available for hatchery maintenance and upgrades. Biden also signed a new agreement delivering USD 20 million (EUR 19 million) in funding over the next 20 years to help Tribes restore and reintroduce salmon to blocked parts of the Columbia River Basin.
“Thanks to the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America agenda and commitment to guaranteeing equitable access to federal funding for Tribes, this cross-agency partnership will ensure Tribal communities have the resources they need to sustain Pacific salmon and steelhead fisheries that are essential to their economic development,” U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said in a statement. “There’s also more to be done, and I look forward to working with all Tribes and Congressional champions to find future opportunities to support salmon hatcheries.”
