Saving Seafood

10 fisheries in N.J. may have wrongly received millions in COVID money, state watchdog says

March 25, 2022 — In its first report detailing the waste, fraud and abuse of the distribution of federal COVID funds, a state watchdog agency said nearly $2.4 million in CARES Act funding may have been improperly paid out to fisheries in New Jersey.

The Office of the State Comptroller (OSC), which is tasked with tracking the distribution of federal COVID funding, said 10 marine fisheries in New Jersey received more money than they lost because of the pandemic in 2020.

Guidelines for the program, administered by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), require that fisheries could not be made “more than whole,” meaning fisheries could not receive more funds than their actual losses in 2020.

“Our report finds that DEP did not take adequate steps to address red flags and protect federal recovery funds from being misspent,” said Kevin Walsh, acting state comptroller. “Getting COVID funding out quickly was important, but more should have been done to protect the funds from fraud, waste, and abuse.”

Read the full story at NJ.com

NORTH CAROLINA: NCDMF Distributes $4.3M in CARES Funds to Commercial Fishing and Seafood Industry Participants

March 4, 2022 — Commercial fishermen and seafood dealers in Carteret County and elsewhere in North Carolina are getting $4.3 million in federal assistance for income losses due to COVID-19.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries announced Feb. 17 more than $4.3 million in financial relief is on its way to eligible members of the fishing industries who sustained income losses from March to December of 2020, during the ongoing pandemic.

During the week of Feb. 14-18, the division issued funds to 265 commercial fishermen and marine aquaculture operations, for-hire fishing operations, seafood dealers and processors deemed eligible for relief from the federal North Carolina Consolidated Appropriations Act Fisheries Relief Program, or CARES Act II.

According to DMF, in Carteret County, $612,763.33 in CARES funding was sent to 67 recipients. Of these recipients, 53 were commercial fishermen or aquaculture operations, three were for-hire fishermen and 11 were seafood dealers or processors.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Rhode Island Announces Second Round of COVID Fisheries Funding

September 21, 2021 — The Rhode Island Congressional Delegation and the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announced that commercial fishing and charter/for hire businesses, qualified aquaculture operators, seafood processors, and dealers are eligible to apply for an additional $255 million in assistance funding provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 on September 16.

This funding will support activities authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

DEM’s Division of Marine Fisheries is administering this second support round. According to the state government, commercial fishing, commercial aquaculture, seafood processors/wholesale (dealers), and charter/for-hires – may be eligible for assistance in the form of direct payments if they can quantify direct and indirect COVID-19 losses.

Read the full story at Seafood News

 

MARYLAND: Nearly 80% of commercial fishermen stopped work during COVID. Relief on way for industry

September 2, 2021 — A seafood industry recovering from a pandemic just got additional support thanks to $3.4 million in relief funds announced in August  by Gov. Larry Hogan.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 doubles down on financial assistance for the industry previously provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, for those who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic has slowed our sales down because people aren’t buying our products like before,” said Harry Phillips, owner of Russell Hall Seafood LLC in Fishing Creek. “Due to lack of (employees) in restaurants and being only at half capacity, that’s why sales have been down. It’s actually possibly getting worse, but we haven’t received assistance like this because our sales were strong last summer.”

Read the full story at Delmarva Now

$3.6M in aid available to fish industries in Hawaii

August 23, 2021 — Qualified fishers and seafood processors and dealers in Hawaii who lost business because of the COVID-19 pandemic can now apply for some of the $3.6 million in federal CARES Act money allocated to the state.

Commercial fishing in Hawaii, like most of the state’s industries, struggled during the coronavirus pandemic as restaurants and businesses closed for extended periods while tourism was at a standstill, cutting the amount of fish sold by fishers.

Last year about $4.3 million was allocated to Hawaii during the first of two rounds of CARES Act funding meant for the nation’s fisheries. The $3.6 million allocated this year is part of a second round of funding and will be distributed by the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission.

Read the full story at The Honolulu Star Advertiser

LOUISIANA: CARES deadline for fishermen is this week

August 23, 2021 — The application period for CARES relief funds ends next week, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says.

“Just a reminder that the application period for the CARES 2.0 relief funds is open for one more week. LDWF will accept applications through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 29, 2021. A total of $12.4 million is available to Louisiana fishermen and others in the industry who have been financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualified applicants will receive direct aid payments from Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission,” a post from the agency states.

For more information about the program, and to access the application, go to: www.wlf.la.gov/page/cares-act-assistance.

Read the full story at KATC

North Carolina Accepting Applications for Round 2 of Fisheries CARES Act Funding

August 20, 2021 — Monday, Aug. 16 was the starting date for accepting N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries applications for the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act (CARES Act II) Fisheries Relief Program. There will be financial assistance available for seafood dealers, processors, commercial fishermen, marine aquaculture operators, and for-hire fishing operators. However, financial assistance will only be available to for-hire fishing operators who have a revenue loss greater than 35% in 2020.

The application packets are available through the Economic Relief Programs website linked here.

Read the full story at Seafood News

COVID Relief Application Period Open to Hawaii Seafood Industry

August 20, 2021 — Hawaii fishermen and seafood businesses should be ready to apply for more COVID-19 relief funds.

Through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, Congress and NOAA allocated an additional $3.6 million to eligible Hawai‘i fishery participants affected by the novel coronavirus. Applications for Round 2 CARES Act assistance were available this week through the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission website, the Hawai‘i Division of Aquatic Resources reported on its website on Aug. 13.

Read the full story at Seafood News

North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries accepting applications for CARES Act II relief

August 18, 2021 — Members of the seafood industry in Carteret County and elsewhere across the state may apply to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries for financial relief.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is accepting applications for the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act, also known as the CARES Act II, Fisheries Relief Program. The financial assistance is available to eligible commercial fishermen and marine aquaculture operators, seafood dealers and processors and for-hire fishing operators who can document a greater than 35% revenue loss in 2020 compared to the previous five-year average due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The division mailed application packets to eligible license, lease and permit holders. Application packets are available online at deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/marine-fisheries/grant-programs/economic-relief-programs or at division offices for eligible stakeholders who are not licensed by the division. In Carteret County, the DMF headquarters is located at 3441 Arendell St. in Morehead City.

Read the full story at the Carteret County News-Times

NORTH CAROLINA: Fisheries-related coronavirus relief funding available

August 17, 2021 — The state Division of Marine Fisheries is accepting applications for the second round of federal coronavirus pandemic relief for seafood-related operations.

Commercial fishers, marine aquaculture operators, seafood dealers and processors and for-hire fishing operators who can document a revenue loss of more than 35% last year compared to the previous five-year average due to COVID-19 are eligible to apply for the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act, or CARES Act II, Fisheries Relief Program, the agency announced. The deadline is Oct. 1.

Application packets are on the division’s Economic Relief Programs webpage or at division offices for eligible stakeholders who are not licensed by the division.

The state is to receive $4.5 million in federal relief to be distributed through direct payments to fisheries-related groups affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding is in addition to the $5.4 million in federal fisheries coronavirus relief distributed in the state earlier this year.

Read the full story at Coastal Review Online