August 28, 2024 — U.S. federal legislators are coalescing around a bill to streamline the government’s process for doling out financial relief related to fishery disasters.
Even when a request for aid is swiftly filed with the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), it can take several months to multiple years for fishers to receive federal money. For fishers who often live on tight margins, surviving the loss of income from a fishery disaster for long periods without federal relief is a difficult prospect