August 10, 2021 — Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources on Monday, Aug. 9 opened a grant application process for the commercial seafood and aquaculture industry, with plans to distribute a total of $3.4 million in direct payments to businesses and operations in the sector this fall.
The application portal is available via Maryland Onestop: onestop.md.gov. The deadline to apply is Aug. 27.
DNR will award the money to commercial, for hire, aquaculture and seafood processing businesses and operations that can show in the application that they have suffered a loss of greater than 35% in generated revenue because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The grant money comes through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, passed by the U.S. Congress in late 2020 for economic assistance to Americans during the pandemic.
In a statement, Gov. Larry Hogan said he was “proud” to invest in the seafood industry, which is particularly vibrant on the Eastern Shore where many of the watermen work and seafood plants and operations are located.