Policy Alert Archives   Help Fight Unreasonable Bans on Fishing Tackle 9/29/2010 Oppose the Proposed Federal Ban on Lead in Fishing Tackle 8/31/2010 Oil Spill Claims Process Transfered from BP to Gulf Coast Claims Facility 8/26/2010 Update on the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill 5/20/2010 Information on Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill 5/3/2010 Tell the White House That the New National Policy for the Ocean, Coasts and Great lakes Must Safeguard Recreational Fishing 3/9/2010 New National Policy May Close Marine and Fresh Waters to Recreational Fishing 2/7/2010 Washington State Anglers Face a Ban on Lead Fishing Tackle 12/9/2009 Washington State Anglers Face a Ban on Lead Fishing Tackle 11/17/2009 New National Oceans and Great Lakes Policy Proposal Ignores $125 Billion Recreational Fishing's Economic Impact 10/5/2009 Contact Florida Governor Charlie Crist and Legislators Demanding They Prevent the National Park Service From Taking Away Your Right to Fish in Biscayne National Park! 9/25/2009 Send a letter to the National Park Service to Protect Your Right to Fish in Biscayne Bay 9/25/2009 Support HR 2565: The National Fish Habitat Conservation Act 4/27/2009 California Angler Access Decision Coming 4/27/2009 The Consumer Product Safety Act of 2008 Update 4/6/2009 The Consumer Product Safety Act of 2008 2/5/2009 Recreational Fishing in the Pacific Ocean is in Peril 10/15/2008 West Coast Salmon Disaster Relief Funds Released 9/18/2008 Support Marine Protected Area Proposal 2XA 4/9/2008 Support S.2766, the Clean Boating Act of 2008 4/7/2008 ASA Opposes U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection Proposed Rule Regarding "First Sale" 4/4/2008 ASA's Position on Proposed Recreational Fishing Restrictions for Gag Grouper in the gulf of Mexico 3/17/2008 ASA's Position on NOAA's Sanctuaries Program's Islands in the Stream Gulf of Mexico Proposal 2/6/2008 Support Passage of the Magnuson-Stevens Act 8/28/2006 Restoration of the Klamath River Salmon Populations 8/22/2006 Excise Tax—Where Are We Now? 5/24/2006 EEZ Striped Bass Fishing 5/19/2006 Support Health Insurance Bill 5/11/2006   Learn More

August 26, 2010

American Sportfishing Association Policy Alert

Oil Spill Claims Process Transferred from BP to Gulf Coast Claims Facility

For more information, contact Gordon Robertson, vice president and Government Affairs lead, 703.519.9691, x237, Mike Leonard, Ocean Resource Policy director, x230, or Alyssa Hausman, Policy Fellow, x244.  

On August 23, oversight of the claims process for businesses affected by the Gulf oil spill was fully transferred from BP to the independent Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF), which is in charge of distributing the $20 billion BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster Victim Compensation Fund under administrator Kenneth Feinberg.  The GCCF was established in June through an agreement between the Obama Administration and BP officials. All personal and business claims and supporting documentation that were previously filed with the BP Claims Process have been transferred to the GCCF.  Claimants must file new forms to the GCCF to receive Emergency Advance Payments or a Final Payment for damages or losses.

For more information about the new claims process or to file a claim, please visit the GCCF or Disaster Assistance websites.   More information can also be obtained by calling the GCCF at 1-800-916-4893 or emailing them at info@gccf-claims.com.  The deadline for filing a claim is November 23, 2010.

Additional economic assistance is available through the Small Business Administration (SBA).  The SBA is offering Economic Injury Disaster Loans to small businesses that have suffered financial loss as a result of the Gulf oil spill. The agency will accept loan applications for up to $2 million at an interest rate of 4%. More information regarding the SBA loan process is available here.

As of August 20, all state waters that were affected by the oil spill have been reopened to recreational fishing, and approximately 78 percent of Gulf federal waters are open.  The following websites have updated information on the spill and describe federal and state response and recovery efforts.

State

• Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
• Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
• Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Federal

• Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon Incident Response
• Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission
• NOAA Fisheries Service – Southeast Regional Office
• Environmental Protection Agency Response

The American Sportfishing Association will continue to track the spill and work to help mitigate the impacts of this disaster on both the resource and the recreational fishing industry.