E&E News: Trump admin releases aid as industry requests more
Photo courtesy of NOAA Fisheries
Trump admin releases aid as industry requests more
Alaska and Washington will each receive $50 million as states begin cashing in on a $300 million emergency fisheries aid package passed by Congress in March.
That's more than any other state or tribe, under allocations announced by the Commerce Department yesterday.
Massachusetts ranked third, with $28 million, followed by Florida at $24 million, Maine at $20 million and California at $18 million.
Congress included the money in its $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act to assist those hit by the pandemic.
The allocations followed weeks of pressure from many lawmakers, fishermen and seafood industry advocates, who had accused the Commerce Department of moving too slowly in distributing the aid (Greenwire, April 23).
[Summary table of estimated allocations deleted]
"I'm glad to see that this funding has finally left the Commerce Department, but the work isn't done yet," said Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife.
"This money needs to quickly be delivered to all those whose businesses and jobs have been disrupted, and we need to see more support for the fishing and seafood sectors in the next congressional response."
Industry officials and many lawmakers say they'll need much more from the federal government to survive.
With many restaurants and food service operations closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Seafood Harvesters of America today asked Congress to set aside $2 billion for the Agriculture Department to buy domestically harvested and processed seafood.
The organization, which represents thousands of fishermen and 18 seafood industry groups, also asked Congress for an additional $1.5 billion in aid for "fishery participants."
"While we are extremely grateful for the $300 million initially authorized and appropriated for this program, it is quickly becoming clear that as this money is divided among state and federal fisheries and a variety of user groups, it will not go far in addressing the losses we have felt in the commercial fishing industry," the organization said in a letter to congressional leaders today.
Huffman led a bipartisan group of 45 lawmakers in making a similar request yesterday.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who oversees NOAA Fisheries, said the first batch of $300 million in aid will bring "much needed relief to America's fishermen."
"This Administration stands with the men and women working to provide healthy and safe seafood during this uniquely challenging time, while our US fisheries work to continue to support 1.7 million jobs and to generate $200 billion in annual sales," Ross said in a statement.
NOAA Fisheries said the aid will be limited mainly to commercial fishing businesses, charter/for-hire fishing businesses, processors, dealers, tribes and aquaculture operations.
The agency said others, such as vessel repair businesses, restaurants and seafood retailers, will not be considered eligible as "fishery-related businesses."
The Trump administration released the aid on the same day the president signed an executive order aimed at boosting offshore aquaculture in the United States (E&E News PM, May 7).
Trump's order will create a task force assigned to find new markets for U.S. seafood and to examine any "unfair trade barriers" with foreign countries. The administration also wants to make it easier for aquaculture operations to get federal permits.
The order has drawn mixed reviews from industry and environmental groups.
"It provides regulatory reform to maximize commercial fishing while also enabling producers to revolutionize American seafood production through sustainable offshore aquaculture," said Bill DiMento, president of Stronger America Through Seafood, an industry coalition group, and vice president of corporate sustainability and government affairs at High Liner Foods.
"Combined," he said, "these measures will strengthen our coastal and agricultural communities and create thousands of jobs."
Opponents said Trump's order would allow rapid authorization of aquaculture facilities that would pollute the oceans.
"It's shameful the president is using the current pandemic to push through dangerous shortcuts to regulatory processes, while communities struggle to stay healthy, pay rent and put food on the table," said Marianne Cufone, an environmental attorney and executive director of the Recirculating Farms Coalition.
Rob Hotakainen, E&E News reporter