WASHINGTON — November 30, 2012 — Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., D-N.J., a senior member of the House Natural Resources Committee and the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs confirmed that recreational fishing infrastructure such as marinas, tackle and bait stores and public access points that provide fishing access are eligible for disaster assistance under the fishery disaster declaration.
“I understand that there has been concern that certain aspects of the recreational fishing sector were not included in the fishery disaster declaration. My office has been working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to confirm that shore-side fishery infrastructure including marinas, tackle and bait stores and boat ramps are eligible for assistance with this declaration.”
On Tuesday, November 13, Congressman Pallone sent a letter to Acting Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank urging that the Department declare a federal fishery resource disaster in New Jersey.
On November 16, Acting Secretary Blank announced that she had made the determination of a fishery resource disaster to help coastal communities in New Jersey.
With this determination, under Section 308(d) of the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act and Section 315 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, federal relief funds can be appropriated and directed at assisting with disaster relief.
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