MARSHFIELD, Mass. — January 22, 2014 — Local fishermen struggling to make mortgage payments and heat their homes could be given some relief after it was announced last week that the U.S. House of Representatives has included $75 million in national fisheries disaster relief in the Fiscal Year 2014 Omnibus Appropriations bill.
These funds will be distributed to fishing communities deemed to have suffered industry disasters, such as the salmon fisheries in Alaska, New York and New Jersey fisheries impacted by Hurricane Sandy, and the New England fishing industry.
In 2012 a federal fisheries disaster was declared for Massachusetts after significant cuts were made to the groundfish catch allocations.
“This is good news for our fishermen, who will receive some assistance to keep them in business and to help them to be able to pay their mortgages and other costs,” said Representative Jim Cantwell, D-Marshfield. “Arguably, however, this could be a multi-year requirement.”
However, it’s not just about the money for local fishermen.
John Haviland, a fisherman from Marshfield, said issuing fishermen a check, though well meaning, is not the answer.
“Commercial fishermen want to be allowed to catch fish and be commercial fishermen,” he said. “We want to fish.”
He said while $75 million sounds like a lot of money, “the pool is relatively large for that amount of money.”
“By the time it gets to the fishermen, there is not going to be enough to sustain them,” he said.
Read the full story at the Marshfield Mariner