According to the plan the state allocate nearly $13.4 million in Congressional aid for the state’s beleaguered groundfishing industry. The state Division of Marine Fisheries is about to submit the new plan to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Tuesday, includes a total of $500,000 in direct subsidies for crewmen. Shore Support, a New Bedford advocacy group that helps fishermen and their families, will likely distribute the funding.
Deb Shrader, executive director of Shore Support, told that the new plan is quite good as it will support the struggling families of these fishermen who are literally very poor. According to the stat’s original draft there is $12.2 million in direct subsidies for permit holders, mainly boat owners and captains, but not for crewmen. The state officials opined that it would be difficult to identify crewmen because they are not required to file tax records with the state as are permit holders.
The state also allocated $375,000 in health insurance coverage for fishermen and their families. The official informed that the new plan has reduced direct subsidies for permit holders to about $11.6 million. It adds $500,000 in direct support for crewmen, and increases funding for health insurance to $500,000.
During the public hearing on the new plan several fishermen raised concerns that fishing permit holders would receive most of the aid, while crewmen would be left to fend for themselves. According to Shrader $500,000 allocated to crewmen, fishermen and their families to cover “sustaining expenses” such as mortgages and utilities bills.
