Aleutians East posts form to help fishermen tally fuel costs for USDA relief

The Aleutians East Borough posted a spreadsheet Monday to help commercial fishermen add up their fuel costs for the federal government's $8 billion Harvest Fuel Relief Program, though fishermen can't apply yet and the U.S. Department of Agriculture hasn't said how much they might get.

Fishermen can email the information to USDA now, at [email protected], but it "will not be formally used as part of the relief applications," the form says. The inbox is monitored "for informational purposes only," and fishermen "will still need to resubmit information through the official application process." Gathering it now will help them be ready, it says.

USDA announced the one-time payments Oct. 19 and asked fishermen for fuel cost data for its consideration in setting payment rates. It hasn't released eligibility rules, rates or application dates for fishing, and the timeline for any payment "may extend well into 2027," according to the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, which published its own guide for drift fishermen last week.

The borough's form asks for each boat's name, home port, length, horsepower, gear, season length, species and fuel type. It asks how much fuel the boat burns per hour or per nautical mile, how much it uses on a typical trip and its fuel-use rate this year and last. It also asks about costs for tenders and invites fishermen to describe how higher fuel prices have hit them. Receipts are welcome, but estimates are "ok for now."

Sen. Dan Sullivan said Oct. 20 that Alaska fishermen are eligible for the program and urged them to "begin compiling and submitting data." His office said USDA wants fishermen to set up Login.gov accounts before it announces an application period. The borough's form directs questions to USDA or to Sullivan's office.