ANCHORAGE, Alaska—
Governor Sean Parnell has urged acting U.S. Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank to declare a fishery disaster for the chinook salmon fisheries on the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers.
Last week Senator Mark Begich urged the governor to declare the area's fisheries a disaster.
Governor Parnell also alerted Secretary Blank that the Cook Inlet region is experiencing low chinook salmon returns and may also qualify for an economic disaster declaration.
The state of Alaska is submitting fisheries data to back up its request.
A federal appropriation is still necessary before any funding will be available.
