The Haines Borough’s CARES Act-funded relief program for commercial fishing businesses went live on Wednesday. The application deadline is Friday, Sept. 25.

The program offers $500 per limited entry permit to commercial fishermen living in Haines, many of whom were ineligible for the borough’s original nonprofit and small business grant program because they lack business licenses.

To qualify for the program, limited entry permit holders must reside in Haines at least six months of the year, have been eligible for the 2019 Alaska permanent fund dividend and have suffered the loss of $500 or more in revenue due to COVID-19. The application notes that loss of revenue can include “decreased fish prices due to reduced demand.”

Prices are down across the board, Haines fisherman Norm Hughes said. “Salmon dropped twenty-five percent, halibut twenty-five percent and crab is like forty percent.”

At past assembly meetings, members have expressed concern that it may be difficult to alert fishermen to the available funding opportunities as many are in the middle of their season.

“(The borough has) so many different programs with so many different deadlines,” Hughes said. “I might hear about something in the newspaper, but I really don’t see it in the paper in real time. I have to chase this stuff down, and I’m too busy trying to fish.”

Hughes, who is currently taking a break from fishing to complete the application for the state’s small business relief program, said he thinks better ways to reach fisherman might include sending borough employees to walk the docks, giving notices to tenders, or even sending letters to all fishermen in the borough.

Fishermen can apply for the borough’s program by filling out a short online form that asks them to list the limited entry permits for which they have lost at least $500 due to COVID-19. Grant money may be used for economic impacts suffered between March 1 and Dec. 30.

At last week’s assembly meeting, borough chief fiscal officer Jila Stuart said the program for fishermen will cost roughly $65,000 if all permit holders apply.

The online application is available at https://www.hainesalaska.gov/community/haines-cares-commercial-fishing-small-business-grant. Those with questions can contact the borough by emailing [email protected] or calling 766-6400.