PROVIDENCE – The state will receive an estimated $1.9 million to assist fishermen under a compromise reached by state fishery directors from Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York and the National Marine Fisheries Service.
The deal provides a framework for distributing a portion of $32.8 million in federal fishery disaster funding for the Northeast region.
The funds are part of a multimillion dollar pool that the state’s congressional delegation helped secure in the fiscal 2014 Consolidated Appropriations Act to respond to six declared fishery disasters throughout the nation.
In 2012, the U.S. secretary of commerce declared a disaster for the Northeast ground-fishery due to sharp reductions in catch limits anticipated for the 2013 fishing year. Earlier this year, an agreement was reached to ensure that Northeast fishermen will be among the beneficiaries of the disaster-relief funding.
Under the plan adopted by the states and NOAA, one-third of the funding – about $10.9 million – will go to fishermen in the form of direct assistance. In Rhode Island, 43 permit-holders in the state with more than 5,000 pounds of groundfish landings in any one of the past four years (2010-2013) will receive direct assistance of $32,463 each.
Another one-third will go to the states based on groundfish landings by port. This funding will be available for states to use for industry support at their discretion, with some restrictions. Rhode Island’s share from this pot is more $542,000.
The final one-third is being held back as NMFS, state directors and the fishing industry determine whether a viable plan for a voluntary capacity reduction can be developed. •
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