Division of Marine Fisheries Archives

Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards Nearly $1.2 Million to Support Fishing Industry

December 15, 2025 — The following was released by Mass.gov

The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced today nearly $1.2 million to support programs and projects that will boost the competitiveness of commercial fisheries. The Massachusetts Fisheries Innovation Fund will directly support the commercial fishing industry to develop modified fishing gear for use in offshore wind areas, address vessel safety around infrastructure, and boost consumer awareness and preference for local, healthy Massachusetts seafood.

“Massachusetts is home to a nation-leading seafood industry and thriving blue economy. Investing in the strength and resilience of our commercial fishing industry is crucial to sustain our local economies and coastal culture,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “We are proud to support our commercial fishers, who provide us with healthy, delicious seafood, all while finding ways to advance innovative research.”

“The Massachusetts Fisheries Innovation Fund will help ensure the profitability and resiliency of our fisheries for generations to come,” said Department of Fish & Game (DFG) Commissioner Tom O’Shea. “This will directly support researchers, fishers, and industry advocates navigating offshore wind development in coastal waters. From commercial fishers to for-hire vessels to shoreside businesses, all will benefit from this unique opportunity for innovation and growth.”

“The Division of Marine Fisheries continues to strive to facilitate the coexistence of our state’s vibrant fisheries with the ongoing development of offshore wind,” said Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) Director Dan McKiernan. “This funding opportunity, crafted by our Fisheries Innovation Fund Advisory Panel, will support our fishing industry to grow alongside the offshore wind industry. These grant awardees bring cooperative research experience, industry rapport, and innovative ideas, and will undoubtedly create impactful outcomes.”

The Fisheries Innovation Fund, led by a nine-member Advisory Panel made up of Massachusetts fishing industry members and administered by the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), is dedicated to promoting the coexistence of the Massachusetts commercial and for-hire fishing industry with offshore wind development. The 2025 Fisheries Innovation Fund projects will have broad-reaching positive impacts for the industry, as well as seafood consumers. A total of $700,000 will be allocated to fishing innovation projects, an additional $450,000 will go towards community resilience programs, and $60,000 will fund safety initiatives. Roughly $375,000 of these funds will serve as sub-contracts to the commercial fishing industry, with approximately $275,000 going directly to commercial fishermen. Projects will also directly collaborate with over 10 individual fishing businesses, including at least three Massachusetts commercial fishing vessels.

The 2025 Fisheries Innovation Fund grant awardees are:

UMass Dartmouth SMAST, Fishing Innovation, $265,984
- Development and testing of novel lighted fish pots for black sea bass and scup, deployed within offshore wind areas, to evaluate catch rates and economic feasibility for safe, continued fishing around offshore wind infrastructure.
Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation, Fishing Innovation, $261,443
- Furthering the understanding of mechanical squid jigging on commercial fishing vessels to determine the efficiency and economic viability of the gear, which is compatible with offshore wind farms.
New Bedford Port Authority, Community Resilience, $250,000
- Improving the visibility and resilience of New Bedford’s fisheries, which operate in and adjacent to offshore wind farm areas, through marketing and promotional campaigns to strengthen visibility and consumer identity of New Bedford seafood landings and products.
FV Martha Elizabeth, Fishing Innovation, $174,908
- Developing, testing, and monitoring innovative fish and sea scallop traps in and adjacent to offshore wind areas to determine catch and economic viability of the gear. Conceived of by, and led by a fisherman, this project is designed to create effective fishing gear for use in offshore wind areas.
Eating with the Ecosystem Inc., Community Resilience, $156,533
- Public engagement events and video content featuring fishermen, chefs and home cooks on healthy, local and sustainable fish and shellfish species caught in offshore wind areas to increase public consumer awareness, acceptance, and demand.
Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation, Safety, $60,768
- Collaboration with a commercial fisherman and net-maker to develop, test, and monitor different bottom trawl gear configurations to use near offshore wind cable infrastructure to address safety concerns from the fishing community.

The Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), working alongside sister agencies within EEA, helps ensure that the commercial fishing industry can remain profitable, resilient, and safe during the development of offshore wind in the region. DMF engages with the fishing industry regularly, provides easily accessible information on offshore wind development, and public comment opportunities for fishers and other stakeholders.

“The commercial fishing industry isn’t just an economic engine for Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket—it’s part of who we are. Growing up in my family’s restaurant in North Truro, I always took pride knowing the seafood on our menu had been caught by day boats just hours before. That connection between our fishermen, our coastal communities, and the food on our tables is something I cherish, and it’s something we must protect,” said State Senator Julian Cyr (D-Truro). “As offshore wind development ramps up, our fishermen deserve the tools, research, and partnerships that will help them stay safe, competitive, and resilient on the water. The Massachusetts Fisheries Innovation Fund meets the moment by investing directly in their ingenuity and expertise.”

“The fishing industry is an integral part of our economy and way of life on the Cape, Islands, and South Shore of Massachusetts,” said State Senator Dylan Fernandes (D-Falmouth). “The support from the Massachusetts Fisheries Innovation Fund will help our fisheries become more resilient in the face of federal cuts. As state senator for the Cape and South Shore, it’s encouraging to see the Healey-Driscoll Administration continue to invest in the blue economy that supports thousands of families across our region.”

“These targeted investments represent a powerful commitment to ensuring that Massachusetts’ commercial and for-hire fishing fleets can continue to thrive as offshore wind development expands,” said State Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). “By supporting cutting-edge gear innovation, strengthening community resilience, and advancing safety in and around offshore wind areas, this funding honors the essential role our fishermen play in feeding our region and sustaining our coastal economy. I’m particularly encouraged that so many of these projects are driven directly by fishermen themselves, and that substantial resources will flow straight to those who work on the water every day. This is a significant step forward in advancing renewable energy while safeguarding and strengthening the fishing industry that has sustained our coastal communities for generations.”

“I applaud the Healey-Driscoll Administration and Secretary Tepper for putting resources directly into the hands of our fishermen and local businesses to develop practical solutions. I am especially proud to see the New Bedford Port Authority receiving funding to showcase the quality and sustainability of our local seafood. Our fishermen’s expertise and dedication deserve that recognition, and our fisheries will become more resilient through the Massachusetts Fisheries Innovation Fund,” said State Representative Antonio F.D. Cabral (D-New Bedford). “New Bedford’s fishing fleet has been the backbone of our community for generations and remains the highest-value fishing port in the nation. These investments are crucial to ensuring our fishermen remain competitive while embracing new technology that will sustain this vital industry for future generations.”

“New Bedford has long been the most profitable fishing port in the United States, generating hundreds of millions in landings each year and serving as an anchor of the South Coast economy,” said State Representative Chris Hendricks (D-New Bedford). “As our fishermen confront the growing challenges of offshore wind development and shifting ocean conditions, this $1.2 million in funding is not just timely, but essential. These investments will help ensure that New Bedford’s commercial fishing industry continues to modernize, stay competitive, and thrive for decades to come.”

“Commercial fishing isn’t just one of Massachusetts’ oldest industries, it’s the backbone of so many coastal communities, including some that I represent,” said State Representative Kathleen LaNatra (D-Kingston). “Our fishermen have weathered generations of change, and they continue to adapt in an environment that grows more challenging every year. This investment helps ensure they have the tools, research, and support needed to stay safe, competitive, and successful. As House Chair of the Coastal Caucus, I’m grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Division of Marine Fisheries for their continued commitment to the people who make their living on the water.”

“Fishing is a cornerstone of the economy across the Cape and Islands, and the Massachusetts Fisheries Innovation Fund will help our beloved fisheries and fishermen adapt and thrive. Thank you, Healey-Driscoll Administration and Secretary Tepper, for directing these funds to bolster one of our most significant local industries and for your dedication to preserving our State’s character,” said State Representative Hadley Luddy (D-Orleans).

MASSACHUSETTS: EXPANDED IN-STATE LOBSTER PROCESSING PROPOSAL BACKED BY SENATE

March 12, 2019 — The following was published by the office of Senator Bruce Tarr:

The State Senate has approved a measure authored by Gloucester Senator Bruce Tarr, and championed by a bi-partisan coalition of state Senators, that will reform state lobster laws would permit licensed wholesale dealers to process unfrozen lobster parts, import unfrozen shell-on lobster parts, and allow for the sale of processed lobster parts.

While the sale of live, cooked, canned lobster and tails is legal in the state, the law currently requires Massachusetts lobstermen and seafood vendors to sell or transport lobster out-of-state for processing for parts. This often means that Bay State lobsters are brought back for sale to consumers with a ‘Product of Canada’ label. Up to 80% of lobsters landed in the state are sent away for processing.

The legislation, adopted as part of S.2181, the Senate’s $144 million supplemental budget bill, mirrors similar language the Senate adopted last session, a move that government and industry experts say will remove constraints on consumer product options and give the multi-million dollar seafood industry capacity to grow.

“We have the second-largest lobster catch in the nation yet, without this bill, our raw and frozen lobster parts are processed in Canada or Maine only to then be brought back to local consumers,” said Senator Tarr. “This legislation modernizes those lobster laws to bolster the fishing industry and give consumers, including local restaurants and food stores more choices while sustainably supporting coastal fishing communities.”

In January, Tarr filed Senate Docket 1, an Act Regulating the Processing of Lobsters, the first bill of the session. That bill is now before the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.

A Division of Marine Fisheries report has recommended adoption of the proposal citing an evolving interest from consumers in value-added lobster in the form of shell-on tails and claws. The report says that the global market for Massachusetts landed lobster would be more readily accommodated with the new law.

“The Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association greatly appreciates Senator Tarr’s ongoing efforts with his colleagues to allow for the complete processing and sale of lobster parts in the state,” said Beth Casoni, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association. “We are looking forward to getting these operations running in the near future.”

Shifting handling from Maine and Canada will boost the viability and prosperity of the industry which will result in job creation.

“I’m proud that the Senate is working to ensure the sustainability and viability of the state’s lobster industry, which will give consumers more choices and benefit lobstermen in coastal communities statewide,” said Senate Committee on Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport). “The lobster industry is a vital part of the Commonwealth’s economy and identity, and I applaud Senator Tarr and my Senate colleagues for supporting it.”

“Easing archaic constraints on lobster processing operations will allow a thriving industry to further invest in our local economy through expanding operations and creating new jobs, especially in New Bedford. I am proud to be a partner on this bipartisan measure, and it is my hope the House will finally accept this provision in conference and get it on the Governor’s desk.” said Senator Montigny(D- New Bedford), the lead cosponsor of the legislation.

Up to 80% of lobsters landed in the state are sent to out of state processing facilities and industry leaders say the move will facilitate opportunities to create and grow jobs in the state. The Marine Fisheries report notes that the lobster demand has spiked and has continued to evolve in favor of processed lobster parts.

“I am glad to join my colleagues in the Senate in support of our Massachusetts lobster fishermen,” said Senator deMacedo (R-Plymouth). “These advancements in our approach to lobster processing will provide an important benefit to the lobster industry and the fishermen who play such an important role in our communities and economy.”

The Senate’s supplemental budget bill will now be reconciled with the House’s version, which was also recently adopted. Once a final version is approved by both branches the bill will advance to Governor Charlie Baker’s desk.

NORTH CAROLINA: Commercial Fishing Assistance Offered

February 25, 2019 –Some North Carolina commercial fishermen can receive financial help from the Hurricane Florence Commercial Fishing Assistance Program.

The state Division of Marine Fisheries was to mail packets last week to those that are eligible based on October and November landings. Packets are only being sent to those fishermen who had lower landings in October and/or November 2018 as compared to their average landings from the same months in the previous three years.

The second round of payments from the program, the state legislature appropriated $11.6 million to DMF to help commercial fishermen and shellfish harvesters who suffered income losses from harvest reductions due to Hurricane Florence.

Read the full story at the Coastal Review

Martha’s Vineyard herring stocks show alarming decline

November 30, 2017 — Herring Creek is a small stream that plays a mighty role in the Martha’s Vineyard ecosystem. It’s the one waterway that connects Menemsha Pond and Squibnocket Pond, and the one place on the Island where blueback herring and alewives — also known as river herring — come home to reproduce.

River herring are anadromous fish and live most of their lives, three to five years, in the ocean. When it’s time to breed, they return to the exact river or pond where they were born.

Twenty years ago, the herring run at Herring Creek was described as “one of the largest on the East Coast, with up to 1.5 million fish making their way through the creek,” according to David H. Killoy, then chief of permits and enforcement for the Army Corps of Engineers.

Read the full story at the Martha’s Vineyard Times

Top cod counter: More data needed

April 14, 2017 — The Baker administration cabinet secretary in charge of the industry-based survey of Gulf of Maine cod agrees with commercial fishing interests that conclusions drawn from the initial findings of the multi-year study are premature.

Matthew A. Beaton, secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, penned a letter to commercial groundfish sectors in which he addressed the most recent incident to fan the flames of discontent among fishermen regarding the validity of the science used to measure the Gulf of Maine cod biomass.

“While it is too early too have enough data to make definitive conclusions about the status of Gulf of Maine cod, the administration anticipates the IBS data will be a helpful resource for both the fishing and research communities,” Beaton wrote.

The state Division of Marine Fisheries, which is conducting the industry-based survey (IBS) funded by fishery disaster aid monies, recently completed the first year of its random-area survey and is set to embark on the second year sometime this month.

But on April 3, a Boston Globe story proclaimed the initial results — which fall in line with the dire assessments by NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center of the cod stock’s imperiled state — “a milestone in the war over the true state of cod” in the Gulf of Maine.

The story said the DMF scientists had “reached the same dismal conclusion that their federal counterparts did: The region’s cod are at a historic low — about 80 percent less than the population from just a decade ago.”

Read the full story at The Gloucester Times

Read the letter here

Senators file bill to expand aquaculture

March 30, 2017 — Two lawmakers from coastal North Carolina filed a bill Monday to encourage the Wilmington District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to allow shellfish cultivation and aquaculture activities in North Carolina waters containing submerged aquatic vegetation.

Sens. Norman Sanderson (R-Carteret) and Bill Cook (R-Beaufort) described Senate Bill 410 as an economic development driver that is also good for the environment.

“With our acres of pristine waters and a large and growing interest in cultivated oysters, the potential for the industry in the state is huge,” said Sanderson and Cook in a press release. “Our goal is for North Carolina to become the ‘Napa Valley’ of oysters. A single adult oyster can filter and clean up to 50 gallons of water a day — thus our waters will be cleaner and our economy will grow.

“North Carolina’s estuaries are well-known for being some of the most productive in the world. We have the second largest estuary system in the United States and the largest contained in one state. Amending this federal rule has tremendous potential to create new jobs with the shellfish and aquaculture industry.”

The federal rule in question aims to protect submerged aquatic vegetation, but the bill sponsors contend it is too restrictive.

“This policy is more stringent than policies used in other coastal states, including the Commonwealth of Virginia,” said the senators in a statement. “Shellfish lease applications in North Carolina have been routinely denied by the Division of Marine Fisheries due to the presence of any submerged aquatic vegetation. Virginia falls under the Norfolk District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and in that state, after the individual lease holder has a preconstruction notification, their lease can have a certain amount of submerged aquatic vegetation under certain conditions.”

Read the full story at North State Journal

MASSACHUSETTS: State Announces Over $105,000 for Seafood Marketing Projects

March 22, 2017 — The state has announced $105,500 in grants to seven marketing campaigns designed to increase awareness and demand for Massachusetts seafood products.

The grants were awarded through the Division of Marine Fisheries’ (DMF) Seafood Marketing Pilot Grant Program.

Seven organizations were awarded funding for projects to stimulate demand though education, promotion, and other strategies.

These organizations have experience and significant ties to the commercial fishing and seafood industries and communities, focus on different species and span geographical areas throughout the state.

Funding for this pilot grant program comes from commercial fishing and dealer permits through the Seafood Marketing Program.

The state launched the Massachusetts Seafood Marketing Program in August 2016 to increase awareness and demand for local seafood products. The program recently announced a partnership with the Massachusetts Farm to School Project to promote the consumption of local seafood in schools.

The Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance has received $15,000 for two boat-to-plate recipe demonstration videos on dogfish and skate for social media.

“We got a grant that is specific to the fisheries that are very important to a group of Cape Cod fisherman and that is skate and dogfish,” said Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance spokeswoman Nancy Civetta.

Wellfleet SPAT got more than $20,000 for a pilot educational and tasting event in Boston to reacquire and increase market share for Wellfleet oysters and clams.

“Cape Cod Commercial Fisherman’s Alliance and Wellfleet SPAT do tremendous work to promote more sustainable fisheries and aquaculture management, scientific research, and community education,” said State Senator Julian Cyr. “I am encouraged that they have been selected to receive grants from the Seafood Marketing Program. These grants will go a long way in helping to promote and encourage the consumption of Massachusetts seafood products.”

“Skate, dogfish, and Wellfleet shellfish are all essential to the outer and lower cape economy. Scores of families count on the income generated by the sale of these delicious and sustainable caught and harvested products,” said State Representative Sarah Peake. “These grants to the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance and to Wellfleet SPAT to raise awareness, market share, and by extension incomes to our fishing families are important and welcome.”

Read the full story at Cape Cod

MASSACHUSETTS: Scientists take advantage of rare shark stranding in Orleans

ORLEANS — The corpse lay on its side as scientists honed knives on whetstones in preparation for the first cut.

But the scene at the town transfer station Monday wasn’t a ghoulish Halloween skit intended to frighten the knot of onlookers; it was a necropsy on a 12-foot-long great white shark that washed onto Nauset Beach on Sunday, dying in the sand.

The scientists were there in part to see if there was any obvious reason the 20-year-old male shark had washed ashore and died. But they also were collecting valuable specimens from an animal that can no longer legally be caught and killed, leaving researchers dependent on the rare instances when one washes up on the beach.

“We hate to have sharks strand because we like to have them in the water and healthy, but when they do we maximize what we could possibly learn from them,” said Gregory Skomal, lead shark scientist at the state Division of Marine Fisheries.

Researchers from his agency, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s School of Marine Science and Technology converged on the transfer station Monday morning to take advantage of the opportunity.

Read the full story at the Cape Cod Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Shellfish, except bay scallops, still off-limits

October 24th, 2016 — Shellfish harvesting — with the exception of bay scallops — continues to be banned in Nantucket waters because of toxic plankton, which first arrived Oct. 7 in Cape Cod waters and made its way to the island a few days later.

“On Tuesday the state Division of Marine Fisheries requested shellfish to sample and we sent them 20 oysters from the harbor for tissue testing,” said Jeff Carlson, Nantucket’s natural resources coordinator.

“Hopefully they can get the testing done quickly and if it comes back clean, we can open things back up.”

Carlson said he did not know how long the state would take to test the samples and added it had sent out similar requests to towns bordering Nantucket Sound that have been included in the harvesting ban.

The reason for the state-mandated closure is plankton called Pseudo-nitzschia that produces a toxin that if consumed leads to amnesic shellfish poisoning. Symptoms of such poisoning include nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, dementia, amnesia, permanent loss of short-term memory and, in extreme cases, coma or death.

Read the full story at The Cape Cod Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Norovirus confirmed in oysters

October 17th, 2016 — No oysters at OysterFest? It’s not just painful for those coming to indulge in the region’s favorite bivalve. Everyone, from those who grow the oysters and shellfish religiously consumed by the hundreds of thousands over the two-day event, to the shuckers who unshackle oyster from shell, to the cashiers, all lose out on valuable income.

At least they now have confirmation that it was indeed a norovirus that sickened more than 75 people who ate Wellfleet oysters last weekend.

“It’s beyond speculation,” said Mike Hickey, the chief shellfish biologist for the state Division of Marine Fisheries. On Friday the norovirus was confirmed in the laboratory by analysis of stool samples, he said.

Unfortunately, it could be a long wait until Wellfleet shellfish can again be sold to be eaten raw.

“If there’s a chance that shellfish are not safe in any way, then they did the right thing,” said longtime shellfisherman Barbara Austin of the state decision this week to shut down Wellfleet shellfish beds and the OysterFest board of directors’ ban on selling any raw shellfish at the festival this weekend.

“This maintains the idea that Wellfleet oysters are safe. We want a clean, healthy, organic food for everybody,” Austin added.

Still, it’s a bummer, she said. She’s already put in the days to cull the shellfish and pack them in bags ahead of time and move them to the Wellfleet Shellfish Company to have them chilled and certified as being in compliance with state and local health regulations. Plus, she’s purchased everything from wood to build the booth to cutlery and napkins to furnish what is essentially a small restaurant for the weekend.

Read the full story at the Cape Cod Times