January 25, 2014 — The economic and spiritual deconstruction of the city’s historic fishing fleet continues unabated, with the most recently released numbers on the 2012 fishing season underscoring the true extent of the decline in Gloucester and across the Northeast groundfish fishery.
More sobering, the 2013 numbers will be far, far worse. If this crisis had a mantra, it surely would be, “Brother, can you spare a fish?”
But there may be light in the enveloping darkness. It might not even constitute a ray, more like a pinpoint. But at this moment, and in this crisis, any wattage is welcome — especially if it translates into money.
When Congress last week approved the $75 million in disaster aid to fishermen and fishing communities, it did more than open the federal financial spigot for the first time since the Department of Commerce declared an economic disaster for this fishery in 2012.
It also, according to industry stakeholders and elected officials, provided them with the springboard to begin developing a plan aimed at first lifting the industry back to some level of stability and then charting a course off toward the horizon and the future of the city, its port and its maritime industry.
Toward that end, Gloucester Mayor Carolyn Kirk hosted a meeting Friday in her office among industry stakeholders, city officials and Gloucester’s State House contingent: state Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr and state Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante.
“We know we need to develop a comprehensive plan that will allow us to capitalize fully on the disaster aid money that comes here,” Kirk said. “The plan will pick up after that money is distributed.”
Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times