September 10, 2020 — The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will soon begin accepting applications for $14.6 million in financial assistance that will be available to Louisiana fishermen and others in the industry who have been financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funds are part of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Applications open at 8 a.m. Monday, Sept. 14, and must be submitted online.
To access the application, please visit www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/cares-act-assistance. The application process will be open for a six-week period. The deadline to submit applications is 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 26. Funding allocation is structured so that all applications submitted before the deadline will be considered.
“These federal funds are a great step toward helping our hardworking fishing community start to recover from the terrible financial losses the pandemic has caused their businesses and their families,” said Governor John Bel Edwards. “We will continue working with our federal partners to bring more funding to our fishing community now going through two years of economic hardships.”
LDWF is aware that Hurricane Laura may have adversely impacted many individuals wishing to apply for this program. LDWF will continually assess the application process and make adjustments as necessary.