A year after strict federal rules took effect to limit the catch of local fishermen, Governor Deval Patrick asked the federal government yesterday to provide $21 million in disaster assistance to the state’s fishing communities, arguing that “significant financial losses and dramatic consolidation’’ have harmed the state’s groundfish industry.
The request for aid, made after the US Commerce Department denied a previous appeal in January, cites new data for why the assistance is needed now.
“Massachusetts fishermen have suffered severe economic hardship due to the implementation of the catch shares program,’’ Patrick said in a statement. “Under the federal program, we have seen a loss of jobs, vessels, and businesses. I am requesting federal disaster assistance to mitigate these losses and protect the economic viability of our historic fishing industry.’’
The Patrick administration said a new economic analysis by the state Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Marine Fisheries found a 61 percent decline in the groundfish catch of mainly small fishing boats on the South Coast between 2009 and 2010.
Read the complete story from The Boston Globe.