WASHINGTON — January 29, 2013 — The few fishermen who still ply New England's waters for cod, haddock and other groundfish are bracing for a double dose of bad news this week.
The first arrived Monday when, as anticipated, the U.S. Senate approved a $60 billion Hurricane Sandy disaster relief bill that contained no federal aid for the northeastern groundfishery or several other fisheries that face "economic disasters."
The second wave could arrive Wednesday or Thursday if federal regulators, as expected, slash already reduced catch limits by another 70 percent to 80 percent to protect fish populations that scientists now say are much smaller than previously thought.
Last year, the U.S. Department of Commerce designated the northeastern groundfishery an "economic disaster," opening the door for emergency federal funds to help support the industry, research programs or management practices.
But Congress has yet to appropriate the money. And any hope of securing funds through the Hurricane Sandy disaster relief bill died in the House after budget hawks stripped unrelated disaster programs from the bill, which passed in the Senate on Monday.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers from New England and Alaska — another state with a certified fishery disaster — vowed to return with another request or pursue other options. The process could take weeks or months.
"It's one thing to get a disaster declaration on paper. It is another thing to be able to provide the relief," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. "And I certainly intend to push until that relief is provided, not only for the families in Alaska, but for those that have been impacted by fisheries disasters throughout the country."
Fishermen are bracing for much starker news from the New England Fishery Management Council later this week. The council's scientific advisory council is proposing an 81 percent cut in the Gulf of Maine cod catch and cuts of 60 percent to 70 percent for other species, based on dire stock assessments.
Last week, the Northeast region's top regulator with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, John Bullard, told The Associated Press that the cuts "will have devastating impacts on the fleet, and on families, and on ports," but "reality is here and we have to face it."
Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald