November 27, 2012 — Local commercial fisheries may be receiving federal funds to help with losses incurred because of Superstorm Sandy, but recreational fishing establishments may not be covered under the law, according to James Donofrio, executive director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance. He is urging the fishing community to contact their congressmen on behalf of marina and tackle shop owners.
On Nov. 16, the U.S. Department of Commerce approved Gov. Christie’s request for a declaration of a federal fishery resource disaster as a result of the devastation to the commercial and recreational fishing industries caused by Sandy.
According to a DEP press release, a federal fishery disaster declaration triggers a federal economic transition program to provide disaster relief for impacted aspects of the industry, including commercial fishing operations, charter fishing operators, processors and owners of related fishery infrastructure affected by the disaster.
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act authorizes the secretary of commerce to declare a fishery resource disaster and a catastrophic regional fishery disaster, which allows Congress to appropriate federal relief funds.
Upon appropriation of funds by Congress, the Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration works with members of Congress and the governors of impacted states to develop financial assistance plans to help coastal communities and the fishing industry.
The N.J. Department of Environmental Protection has already begun preliminary work to assess economic impacts of the storm to the industry and will be teaming up next week with officials from the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to visit commercial and recreational fishing operations that were impacted. They will also be assessing the cascading impacts the storm had on other parts of the state’s economy that support the commercial and recreational fishing industries.