Sen. Murkowski urges faster disaster aid, new insurance options and trade work for Alaska fisheries

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski told the joint legislative task force on Alaska's seafood industry that the delegation is pushing multiple federal steps to help fishermen and coastal communities cope with sustained losses and global competition.

Murkowski said Congress recently enacted the FISHS Act to speed delivery of declared fisheries-disaster funds and that the Appropriations Committee work will continue to prioritize survey, monitoring and modernization programs she said matter to Alaska.

"What it will ultimately do is help speed up the process for fisheries disaster funding to actually get back to the fishermen and to the community," Murkowski said, describing the law as a step to reduce multi-year delays that have left communities waiting for disaster aid.

She described federal interest in a range of further measures: a Working Waterfronts bill to finance coastal infrastructure and harbor improvements; efforts to make NOAA's Fisheries Finance Program more accessible for vessel modernization and quota purchases; and exploration of a crop-style, subsidized insurance program for fisheries that would mirror aspects of federal crop insurance.

"Our fishermen are nothing more than farmers of the sea," Murkowski said, arguing the industry faces many of the same risks as agriculture and therefore could benefit from insurance tools. She cautioned, however, that a crop-style program would be complex and costly at the federal level and must be structured so fishermen see it as worth the premium.

Murkowski also warned of the economic risk from tariff policy and litigation threats (including endangered-species listings) that can disrupt markets. She told the task force the incoming congressional leadership and committee changes give the delegation an opportunity to press seafood issues in the next farm bill and other packages. She described work with the Agriculture Committee and outreach to USDA and USTR on country-of-origin labeling, mariculture and export access.

Task force members pressed Murkowski on concrete next steps. Representative Dan Vance asked whether the FISHS Act also included an insurance mechanism; Murkowski and staff clarified the two efforts are separate: FISHS speeds disaster relief; the insurance idea is still being explored and would likely be raised in the farm bill or tax discussions. Senator Gary Stevens and several legislators urged continued pressure on USDA to move sooner on planned federal purchases that processors rely on for inventory stabilization.

Murkowski said appropriations access is a clear avenue: her subcommittee assignments include agencies with fisheries oversight and she plans to press for survey, monitoring and technology funding and to push nominees and agency staff to understand Alaska's needs.

Why it matters: Murkowski framed fisheries stress as a statewide economic issue, not regionally confined, and urged the task force and state delegation to coordinate requests on disaster relief timelines, infrastructure, insurance options and trade policy so federal programs are more responsive to Alaska needs.

What the task force will do next: staff (Tim Lampkin) said the draft task force report will include federal recommendations and that members discussed sending resolutions and letters in support of select federal measures Murkowski described.