Fisheries Disaster Relief

Fisheries Disaster Relief is a grant from the Department of Commerce, administered through NOAA Fisheries, that funds state government agencies and fishing communities to provide assistance following commercial fishery failures due to fishery resource disasters. The program supports fishing vessel owners, operators, crew members, and U.S. fish processors affected by disaster declarations.

Eligible applicants are agencies of state governments and fishing communities. Federal obligations reached approximately $392,091,000 in 2025. Funds address economic losses in communities dependent on fisheries that have collapsed or experienced significant decline due to natural, regulatory, or environmental causes.

Alaska Fisheries Management and Marine Life Protection Learn about NOAA Fisheries' work in the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, Chukchi Sea, and Beaufort Sea. Alaska's dynamic, often ice-covered seas are home to a remarkable diversity of life—crustaceans, fish, seals, sea lions, porpoises, whales, and more. Few places in the world offer such beauty and bounty.

This region of nearly 1. 5 million square miles includes waters in the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, Chukchi Sea, and Beaufort Sea. Alaska produces more than half the fish caught in waters off the coast of the United States, with an average wholesale value of nearly $4.

5 billion a year. Alaska's fisheries are among the best-managed, most sustainable in the world. Alaska resources provide jobs and a stable food supply for the nation, while supporting a traditional way of life for Alaska Native and local fishing communities.

Together, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office and Alaska Fisheries Science Center help ensure the sustainability of these marine resources for generations. Alaska Fisheries Science Center Publications Alaska Fisheries Science Center Alaska Best Scientific Information Available St. George Island.

Credit: NOAA Fisheries Northern Fur Seal Deaths on St. George Island, Alaska, Linked to Harmful Algal Bloom Bowhead whales. Image captured during the 2025 aerial survey over the Beaufort Sea.

Photo taken while working under authority of NOAA Fisheries Research Permit #25563-02. Credit: NOAA Fisheries & CICOES / Skyla Walcott International Survey Counts Bowhead and Beluga Whales in the Beaufort Sea Show Seafood Some Love and Get Heart Healthy! Newly hatched Pacific cod larva.

Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Emily Slesinger Pacific Cod Gene Expression Analysis Reveals how Changing Oceans Impact Larvae A shore-based fisheries observer collects data from a salmon caught in the pollock fishery at a fish processing plant in Alaska.

Credit: NOAA Fisheries/North Pacific Observer Program Shore-Based Observers Strengthen Catch Accounting in Alaska’s Pollock Fishery 2026-2027 Alaska Groundfish Harvest Specifications Incidental Take Authorization: City of Kodiak's St.

Herman Harbor Infrastructure Rebuild Project in the water off of Kodiak, Alaska Incidental Take Authorization: Aleut Corporation's Port of Adak Pier 5 Improvements Project Amendment 125 to the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Fishery Management Plan; Pacific Cod Small Boat Access North Pacific Observer Program Standard Ex-Vessel Prices for Groundfish and Halibut - Federal Register Rules and Notices More Fisheries Notices & Rules More Protected Resources Regs & Actions Juneau Aquaculture Opportunity Areas Atlas Workshop Kodiak Aquaculture Opportunity Areas Atlas Workshop IB 26-14: NMFS Prohibits Directed Fishing for Pacific cod by Catcher Vessels Greater Than or Equal to 50 feet Length Overall Using Hook-and-line Gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf Alaska IB 26-13: NMFS Prohibits Directed Fishing for Pacific Cod by Vessels using Pot Gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska IB 26-12: Reallocation of Pollock in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands IB 26-11: NMFS Prohibits Directed Fishing for Pacific cod by Catcher Vessels Less Than 50 feet Length Overall Using Hook-and-line Gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska IB 26-10: NMFS Opens Directed Fishing for Pacific Cod by Vessels Using Pot Gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska Fiscal Year 2024–2026: Broad Agency Announcement An adult female ribbon seal looks around among ice floes in the Bering Sea.

Animals are much harder to detect during aerial surveys when they are in the water. Credit: NOAA Fisheries / Josh M London / Photo taken under authority of NOAA Fisheries Research Permit #23858. New Study Will Improve Abundance Estimates for Bearded, Ribbon, and Spotted Seals in Alaska Late afternoon residents walk to investigate the fin whale carcass.

Credit: Bridget Crokus, volunteer Alaska Veterinary Pathology Services 47-Foot Fin Whale Found Washed Ashore Near Anchorage Spring Chinook Salmon. Credit: Michael Humling, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Alaska Salmon Research Task Force Alaska Fisheries Science Center Alaska Marine Life and Ecosystem Science The Alaska Fisheries Science Center supports the sustainable management and conservation of marine life.

Find scientific reports and research program information. Our high quality research supports sustainable management and conservation of Alaska marine species with economic and cultural benefits for the nation. Alaska waters support some of the most important commercial fisheries in the world.

Large and diverse populations of whales, seals, sea lions, and porpoises and Alaska native hunting and fishing communities also share these waters. We study the health and size of marine animal populations. We also study the key areas where these animals feed, breed, and grow.

To study ocean habitats, we monitor environmental conditions important to sustain marine life. For instance, we regularly monitor sea surface temperatures in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska. We analyze biological, oceanographic and ecological data collected during research surveys and by trained fisheries observers in our laboratories.

From this, we learn more about marine animal diets, age , growth and reproduction, food web dynamics and the role of humans in marine ecosystems. We use this and other information to monitor changes to marine animal populations and Alaska ecosystems over time.

Alaska Fish Research Surveys Alaska Fisheries Science Center Interactive Data Maps Assessing Alaska Fish Stocks Groundfish Stock Assessments Fish Age Determination Tool Fisheries Monitoring (Observer Program) North Pacific Observer Program Observer Deploy and Declare System Observer Training Schedule Observer Fee Collection and Payment Fisheries Monitoring and Analysis North Pacific Observer Program Contacts North Pacific Annual Sampling Manual Alaska Marine Mammal Field Work North Pacific Right Whales Alaska Economic and Social Science Research Alaska Climate Integrated Modeling Project Ecosystem Monitoring and Assessment Ecosystem and Recruitment Processes Research Ecosystems and Ecology Research Recruitment Energetics and Coastal Assessment National Overview: Science & Data Alaska Fisheries Science Center Divisions and Programs Alaska Fisheries Science Center Publications Questions and Answers: Partial Coverage Observer Program Reintroduction Alaska Fisheries Science Center Strategic Science Plan 2023-2027 International Survey Counts Bowhead and Beluga Whales in the Beaufort Sea Bowhead whales.

Image captured during the 2025 aerial survey over the Beaufort Sea. Photo taken while working under authority of NOAA Fisheries Research Permit #25563-02. Credit: NOAA Fisheries & CICOES / Skyla Walcott Pacific Cod Gene Expression Analysis Reveals how Changing Oceans Impact Larvae Newly hatched Pacific cod larva.

Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Emily Slesinger Shore-Based Observers Strengthen Catch Accounting in Alaska’s Pollock Fishery A shore-based fisheries observer collects data from a salmon caught in the pollock fishery at a fish processing plant in Alaska.

Credit: NOAA Fisheries/North Pacific Observer Program New Tools Help Alaska Communities Prepare for Future Changes in Pacific Cod Distributions Sand Point, Alaska, is a remote city in the Aleutians East Borough. It was founded in 1898 as a cod fishing station and trading post.

Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Connor Maguire 8 Fascinating Facts about Ribbon Seals An adult female ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata) rests on an ice floe in the Bering Sea. Photo taken from a small UAS during operations to evaluate body condition in ribbon and spotted seals. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Gavin M Brady.

UAS operations are conducted under authority of NMFS Research Permit #23858 and NOAA NIF #N24-17. Alaska Commercial, Recreational, and Subsistence Fishing Resources Find permits, reporting forms, rules, and regulations for Alaska's commercial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries.

The Alaska Regional Office works with the Alaska Fisheries Science Center and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to manage Alaska’s sustainable fisheries.

Using the best available science, we work through the Council process authorized under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to develop measures for best management of Alaska’s fisheries, considering a range of factors such as the health of the fish stocks and economic impact of fishery practices.

Once fishing levels and regulations are adopted and approved, the Alaska Regional Office works to implement the Council decisions. The goal is to allow fishermen to harvest the optimum amount of fish while leaving enough in the ocean to reproduce and provide future fishing opportunities in perpetuity.

Permits, Applications, and Forms Catch Share and Limited Access Programs Forage Species, Grenadiers, Sculpins, and Squids Recreational (Sport) Fishing Unguided Sport Halibut Fishing Guided Sport Halibut Fishing Applications and Reporting Forms Guided Angler Fish (GAF) Program Charter Halibut and GAF Permits Issued Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan Charter Halibut Limited Access Program State of Alaska Sport Fisheries: Salmon, Rockfish, Lingcod, Shellfish, Freshwater Fish Permit Applications and Reporting Forms Frequently Asked Questions about the Subsistence Halibut Program How to Replace or Renew a SHARC Online SHARC Renewal (eFISH) Permits and Licenses Issued Subsistence Halibut Program Online Services (eFISH, eLandings) Federal Fishing Permits and Licenses Issued in Alaska Restricted Access Management North Pacific Observer Program Cost Recovery Programs and Fee Payment Rules and Notices Open for Comment Regulations, Acts, and Treaties Figures, Maps, Boundaries, Regulatory Areas, and Zones Fishery Management Plans and Amendments Federal Fishing Seasons in Alaska IB 26-14: NMFS Prohibits Directed Fishing for Pacific cod by Catcher Vessels Greater Than or Equal to 50 feet Length Overall Using Hook-and-line Gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf Alaska IB 26-13: NMFS Prohibits Directed Fishing for Pacific Cod by Vessels using Pot Gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska IB 26-12: Reallocation of Pollock in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands IB 26-11: NMFS Prohibits Directed Fishing for Pacific cod by Catcher Vessels Less Than 50 feet Length Overall Using Hook-and-line Gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska IB 26-10: NMFS Opens Directed Fishing for Pacific Cod by Vessels Using Pot Gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska Protected Marine Life Overview Alaska Marine Life Conservation and Recovery Resources We protect, conserve, and manage Alaska's protected marine mammals, fish, invertebrates, and sea turtles.

Find information on our protected species programs. The Protected Resources Division works to conserve and recover marine mammals in close coordination with the State of Alaska and other partners.

To manage protected marine species, as required under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, and Fur Seal Act, the Alaska Region advances recovery of threatened and endangered species and the conservation of marine mammals, including whales, seals, and sea lions.

We work to minimize interactions between marine mammals and commercial fisheries ; promote responsible marine mammal viewing practices; coordinate response to stranded or entangled marine mammals; consult with federal agencies to minimize project effects on threatened and endangered species; and cooperatively manage subsistence use of marine mammals through co-management agreements with Alaska Native organizations.

Endangered Species Conservation Proposed Actions Open for Public Comment ESA Species and Critical Habitat Mapper Web Application Endangered, Threatened, and Candidate Species in Alaska ESA Section 7 Consultations Non-Marine Mammals Reviewed for ESA Listing Marine Mammal Stranding Program (Stranding Hotline: (877) 925-7773) Marine Mammal Viewing Guidelines Entanglement and Marine Debris Alaska Oil Spill Response Guidance Permits and Authorizations Marine Mammal Observer Program Whales, Dolphins, Porpoises North Pacific Right Whale Dolphin and Porpoise Species Marine Mammal Stranding Program (Stranding Hotline: (877) 925-7773) Buying or Finding Marine Mammal Parts and Products U.S. Fish and Wildlife Managed Species: Walrus, Sea Otters, Polar Bears Northern Fur Seal Deaths on St.

George Island, Alaska, Linked to Harmful Algal Bloom St. George Island. Credit: NOAA Fisheries International Survey Counts Bowhead and Beluga Whales in the Beaufort Sea Bowhead whales.

Image captured during the 2025 aerial survey over the Beaufort Sea. Photo taken while working under authority of NOAA Fisheries Research Permit #25563-02. Credit: NOAA Fisheries & CICOES / Skyla Walcott 8 Fascinating Facts about Ribbon Seals An adult female ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata) rests on an ice floe in the Bering Sea.

Photo taken from a small UAS during operations to evaluate body condition in ribbon and spotted seals. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Gavin M Brady. UAS operations are conducted under authority of NMFS Research Permit #23858 and NOAA NIF #N24-17.

Snow Crab Collapse Linked to Energetic Limitations During a Marine Heatwave Snow crabs sampled during the 2024 eastern Bering Sea bottom trawl survey. Credit: NOAA Fisheries / Erin Fedewa Faster Analysis of Data to Evaluate Bycatch Reduction Efforts in Pollock Fishery Sexton trawl camera used to collect video footage inside pollock trawls to test the effectiveness of bycatch reduction devices in nets. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

Alaska Habitat Conservation and Restoration Resources We conserve Alaska's habitats to boost fish populations, recover threatened and endangered species, and support communities. Find information on our programs. NOAA Fisheries conducts and reviews environmental analyses for a large variety of activities ranging from commercial fishing, to coastal development, to large transportation and energy projects.

Working with industries, stakeholder groups, government agencies, and private citizens, we ensure that these activities have minimal impact on essential fish habitat and marine life in Alaska.

Our habitat conservation activities include protecting essential fish habitat, mitigating damage to and enhancing habitat affected by hydropower project construction and operations, removing invasive species, and restoring habitat that has been affected by development, oil spills, and other human activities.

We focus on habitats used by federally-managed fish species located offshore, nearshore, in estuaries, and in freshwater areas important to migratory salmon.

EFH Descriptions and Identification Environmental Consultation Organizer (ECO) Frequently Asked Questions about EFH EFH Policy and Directives EFH Omnibus Fishery Management Plan Amendments ShoreZone Coastal Images and Maps Habitat Conservation Area Maps Pacific Salmon Freshwater EFH in Alaska Oil Spill Risk Analysis Calculator Aquaculture Best Management Practices Hydropower Project Review Analyzing Risk to Improve Oil Spill Planning and Response Annual Report of Division Accomplishments Habitat Research in Alaska NOAA Habitat Blueprint: Kachemak Bay, AK, Habitat Focus Area National Overview: Habitat Conservation Alaska Creek Impacted by Historic Mining Restored to Support Salmon and Local Communities An excavator digs a new stream channel while a dump truck unloads stones to recreate the stream bed on Resurrection Creek.

Credit: Molly Feltner/NOAA. Underwater Sound Recordings Confirm Endangered North Pacific Right Whales Use of Historic Habitats Two North Pacific right whales photographed from the NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson in August, 2021, during a survey in Alaska. Photo taken under NOAA Fisheries Research Permit #20465.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution engineer Owen Ceserano downloads images collected from a long-range autonomous underwater vehicle called “Stella” on deck of R/V Hugh R. Sharp. HabCam can be seen in the background.

Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Zach Fyke Coral nurseries are one tool NOAA uses to restore reefs, which are vital habitats for many managed seafood species. Credit: NOAA Fisheries Meet Emily Mailman, Marine Habitat Resource Specialist for the NOAA Restoration Center Emily at Tern Lake in Moose Pass, Alaska. Credit: Emily Mailman/NOAA.

Alaska Managed and Protected Marine Species Find a list of federally managed or protected fish, invertebrates, sea turtles, and mammals in the Alaska region. Alaska's coastal communities depend on healthy marine resources to support commercial and recreational fisheries, tourism, and the Alaskan way of life.

Our mission at NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office is the science-based stewardship of Alaska’s marine resources and their habitats in the Gulf of Alaska, eastern Bering Sea, and Arctic oceans. We are responsible for supporting sustainable fisheries, recovering and conserving protected species, such as whales and seals, and promoting healthy ecosystems and resilient Alaska coastal communities.

North Pacific Right Whale Pacific Salmon and Steelhead Northern Fur Seal Deaths on St. George Island, Alaska, Linked to Harmful Algal Bloom St. George Island.

Credit: NOAA Fisheries International Survey Counts Bowhead and Beluga Whales in the Beaufort Sea Bowhead whales. Image captured during the 2025 aerial survey over the Beaufort Sea. Photo taken while working under authority of NOAA Fisheries Research Permit #25563-02.

Credit: NOAA Fisheries & CICOES / Skyla Walcott Show Seafood Some Love and Get Heart Healthy! Pacific Cod Gene Expression Analysis Reveals how Changing Oceans Impact Larvae Newly hatched Pacific cod larva. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Emily Slesinger New Tools Help Alaska Communities Prepare for Future Changes in Pacific Cod Distributions Sand Point, Alaska, is a remote city in the Aleutians East Borough.

It was founded in 1898 as a cod fishing station and trading post. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Connor Maguire