SACRAMENTO – Low-interest Federal disaster loans are now available to California small businesses that have suffered financial losses due to the closure of the April 10 through Sept. 30, 2010, California Salmon fishery season, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Karen G. Mills announced Thursday.

By declaring a disaster, Administrator Mills’ action makes low interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) available immediately to help meet financial needs caused by the closure of the 2010 salmon fishery season.

SBA acted under its own authority to declare a disaster following a March 25 request from Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr.’s designated representative, Mike Dayton, acting secretary of California Emergency Management Agency.

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) lauded Mills’ decision to provide the low-interest disaster relief loans

Sen. Boxer’s office worked with the California Emergency Management Agency (CalEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to secure disaster relief after hearing from Californians devastated by recent closures.

“This vital assistance will provide much-needed relief to California fishermen and other small businesses recovering from recent fishery closures and three years of poor salmon seasons.”

After two years of widespread salmon fishery closures due to poor salmon returns, the Pacific Fishery Management Council was only able to open the commercial salmon season for eight days in 2010.

The declaration covers the coastal California counties (from North to South) of Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara and the additional neighboring counties of Alameda, Glenn, Kern, Kings, Lake, Merced, Napa, San Benito, Siskiyou, Solano, Stanislaus, Tehama and Trinity and the neighboring Oregon counties of Curry and Josephine.

SBA is offering working capital loans of up to $2 million at an interest rate of 4 percent for businesses and 3 percent for private, non-profit organizations with terms up to 30 years.

“SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact. These loans can provide vital economic assistance to fishing and fishing-dependent businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing,” said Alfred E. Judd, Director of SBA’s Disaster Field Operations Center – West.

“SBA customer service representatives will be in the affected communities along the California coast to meet individually with business owners to answer questions about SBA’s EIDL assistance, issue loan applications, explain the application process, and help them complete their applications,” Judd said.

Some eligible business owners include: small businesses engaged in salmon fishing in the waters affected by the closure (employees or crew members are not small businesses and are not eligible), and small businesses dependent on the catching or sale of salmon, including suppliers of fishing gear and fuel, docks, boatyards, processors, wholesalers, shippers, and retailers, and other small businesses dependent on revenue from the above.

“We recognize that some affected businesses may be reluctant to seek a loan to meet their immediate financial needs, but we encourage each business to learn how an SBA disaster loan can help them recover from the closure of the 2010 fishery season,” Judd emphasized.

SBA representatives will be available at the following locations on the days and times indicated. No appointment is necessary.

DEL NORTE COUNTY

Disaster Loan Outreach Center

Crescent Harbor Art Gallery

140 A Marine Way

(located above the Crescent

Harbor Art Gallery)

Crescent City, CA 95531

Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Closes Thursday, April 21

HUMBOLDT COUNTY

Disaster Loan Outreach Center

Woodley Island Marina

(conference room)

601 Startare Drive

Eureka, CA 95501

Tuesdays, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Wednesdays, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Opens Tuesday, April 5

Closes Wednesday, April 20

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Disaster Loan Outreach Center

Salmon Trollers Marketing Association

19292 South Harbor Drive

Fort Bragg, CA 95437

Thursdays, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Fridays, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Opens Thursday, April 7

Closes Friday, April 22

SONOMA COUNTY

Disaster Loan Outreach Center

Grange Hall (dining hall)

1370 Bodega Avenue

(corner of Bodega Ave. and Hwy 1)

Bodega Bay, CA 94923

Mondays, 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Tuesdays, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Opens Monday, April 4

Closes Tuesday, April 19

SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY

Disaster Loan Outreach Center

Port of San Francisco – Fisherman’s Wharf – Harbor Office, Pier 47

(across from Scoma’s Restaurant)

San Francisco, CA 94111

Wednesdays, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Opens Wednesday, April 6

Closes Wednesday, April 20

SAN MATEO COUNTY

Disaster Loan Outreach Center

Pillar Point Harbor

One Johnson Pier

Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

Thursdays, 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Fridays, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Opens Thursday, April 7

Closes Friday, April 22

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Disaster Loan Outreach Center

The Harbor Public Meeting Room

365 A Lake Avenue

Santa Cruz, CA 95062

Mondays, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Opens Monday, April 4

Closes Monday, April 18

MONTEREY COUNTY

Disaster Loan Outreach Center

Moss Landing Harbor District (boardroom)

7881 Sandholdt Road

Moss Landing, CA 95039

Tuesdays, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Wednesdays, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., and 1p.m. – 5 p.m.

Opens Tuesday, April 12

Closes Wednesday, April 20

MONTEREY COUNTY

Disaster Loan Outreach Center

Monterey Youth Center

777 East Pearl St.

Monterey, CA 93940

Thursdays, 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Fridays, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Opens Thursday, April 7

Closes Friday, April 22

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY

Disaster Loan Outreach Center

Central Coast Women for Fisheries, Inc.

1287 Embarcadero

Morro Bay, CA 93442

Tuesday through Thursday, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Opens Tuesday, April 5

Closes Thursday, April 7

Disaster loan information and application forms are also available from SBA’s Customer Service Center by calling SBA toll-free at 800-659-2955, emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or visiting SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance. Hearing impaired individuals may call 800-877-8339.

Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure Web site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

The filing deadline to return economic injury applications is Jan. 3, 2012.