July 2014 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 13. MISCELLANEOUS COMMERCIAL FISHING NEWS
States reach consensus on plans to distribute New England groundfi sh disaster funds
28 May The state fi shery directors from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York, in part- nership with NOAA, today announced a proposed framework for the distribution of $32.8 million in federal disaster monies to the New England groundfi sh industry. These funds are a portion of the $75 million allocated by U.S. Congress as part of its Fiscal 2014 budget to help with six declared fi shery disasters. In 2012, the Secretary of Commerce declared one of these fi shery disasters to be the result of signifi cant quota cuts anticipated for key New England groundfi sh stocks in the 2013 fi shing year. Under federal fi sheries law, the Commerce Secretary can declare a fi shery disaster, which makes it possible for Con- gress to appropriate funds to provide eco- nomic assistance to fi shing businesses and communities, including fi shermen, affected by a disaster and to support other activities addressing the disaster.
In the consensus framework for the
groundfi sh fi shery, the six states would apportion available monies between three themes (roughly $11 million in each): one- third to be used for direct assistance, one- third to be split among the states and used at their discretion, and one-third to be used in developing a federally funded buyout or industry-funded buyback. Click here to view breakdown of monies by state. Direct Assistance: Using an industry recommended allocation, direct assistance will be distributed equally to 336 holders of permits in the Northeast multispecies fi shery who landed at least 5,000 pounds of groundfi sh in any one of the past four years (2010-2013). Qualifi ed permit holders from each of the affected states would each receive a check for $32,463; State-Specifi c Grants: States will split a second third of the total available monies based on an agreed-to formula that considers groundfi sh revenue losses affecting each state in recent years, with a slight adjust- ment to ensure that no state receives less than $250,000. Subject to NOAA approval of spend plans, states will have some fl ex- ibility to determine the most appropriate way to address the unique and varied needs of their fi shing communities. For instance,
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states can opt to use monies to assist recre- ational fi shermen, commercial vessel crew members, shore-based infrastructure, or cooperative research; Vessel buyout/buyback: NOAA, state directors, and the fi shing industry will use the remaining monies to develop either a government funded buyout program or an industry-funded buyback program. This aspect of the framework is expected to take longer to develop so funds would be held in reserve until needed. NOAA plans to work closely with the states to complete required reviews of state grant applications and spend plans for both the direct assistance grants and the state grants to distribute this portion of the funds as quickly as possible. Typically, there is a two- to three-month review to ensure stat- utory and grant requirements are addressed before the funds can be made available to the recipient. For these two components of the framework, states would receive a com- bined allocation of: Connecticut: $250,000; Massachusetts: $14,512,618; Maine: $2,260,034; New Hampshire: $2,039,825; New York: $814,012; and Rhode Island: $1,938,617
“Each state situation is unique, and it was challenging to identify an approach that could work for all,” said John Bullard, re- gional administrator, NOAA Fisheries. “But after considerable discussion and outreach, I think we came up with a framework that has something in it for everybody and will enable us to get some monies into the hands of fi shermen and others affected as quickly as possible. That way we can continue to work together on the more long-term efforts to help ensure the future of both the fi shing industry and the resource.”
“Governor Patrick has passionately advocated for the Commonwealth’s fi shing industry, an critical part of Massachusetts’ economic vitality and heritage,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rick Sullivan. “We must protect the sustainability of our fi shermen, and this fi nancial assistance will help our fi shing industry survive until the resource recovers and federal harvest regulations can be re- laxed.”
“I am pleased that we have been able to develop a spending plan for the groundfi sh disaster relief funds appropriated by Con- gress that helps address both the immediate needs and the long term viability of our
small boat groundfi sh fl eet,” said Douglas Grout, chief, Marine Fisheries Division, New Hampshire Fish & Game Department. “The agreement reached by the State di- rectors is a compromise, and I am glad that it incorporates parts of the broadly supported industry proposal. In particular, setting some of the money aside will give the industry an opportunity to consider how they could use a portion of this federal relief to provide some long-term economic benefi t to the fl eet, which was a priority for Maine fi shermen,” Patrick Keliher, commissioner, Maine Department of Marine Resources.
States Schedule Hearings on American Eel Draft Addendum IV ARLINGTON, VA – Atlantic coastal states from Maine through Georgia have sched- uled their hearings to gather public comment on Draft Addendum IV to the Interstate Fish- ery Management Plan for American Eel. The dates, times, and locations of the scheduled meetings follow.
Maine Department of Marine Resources June 30, 2014; 10 AM – Noon Natural Resources Service Center Conference Room 6 Beech Street Hallowell, Maine Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207.624.6553
Commercial Fishing News
June 30, 2014; 3 – 5 PM Jeff’s Catering and Event Center 15 Littlefi eld Way Brewer, Maine Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207.624.6553
New Hampshire Fish and Game June 23, 2014; 7:30 PM* Urban Forestry Center 45 Elwyn Street
Portsmouth, New Hampshire Contact: Doug Grout at 603.868.1095 *Hearing to immediately follow ASMFC Atlantic Herring public herring which starts at 7 PM.
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fish- eries
July 1, 2014; 6 – 8 PM
Bourne Public Library Meeting Room 19 Sandwich Road Bourne, Massachusetts
Contact: Nichola Meserve at 617.626.1531
The Draft Addendum proposes a wide range of management options with the goal of reducing mortality and increasing the conservation of American eel stocks across all life stages. Specifi c management options focus on the commercial (glass, yellow, and
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