A bipartisan group of 38 lawmakers representing fishing communities from 10 states sent a letter today urging Congressional leadership to include fishery disaster relief in any final funding package for 2014. The letter aims to ensure that $150 million for collapsed fisheries is soon made accessible to those in need of assistance. The money was previously allocated by the Senate Appropriations Committee in the 2014 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies appropriations bill but has not been enacted into law.
The letter states, “Since 2012, the Department of Commerce declared a number of fishery failures in the United States. Regrettably funding has not been appropriated yet to deal with the effects of these disasters, which continue to affect communities in our states and districts.”
The relief funding would help support several struggling fisheries across the United States. The Alaska chinook salmon fishery, Mississippi oyster and blue crab fishery, Northeast groundfish fishery, Florida oyster fishery, and fisheries impacted by Superstorm Sandy have all been declared disasters by the Department of Commerce and require federal aid.
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren signed the letter in support of communities that have been struck particularly hard by mismanagement of the New England groundfish fishery. Commenting on the effort Senator Warren said, “It’s not a disaster because the fishermen did anything wrong. It’s a disaster because they followed exactly what the government asked them to do.”
In the letter, lawmakers emphasized the importance of this aid. “For the communities they affect, fisheries disasters are as devastating as other federally-declared disasters… These funds could be used in a variety of ways to provide fishermen vital help including support for emergency financial assistance, operational costs where necessary, economic development programs, and science initiatives to manage the fishery in a timely way that gives confidence to all stakeholders.”
Read the letter from 38 lawmakers to eight Congressional leaders