NOAA
2003-R941 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Aja Sae-Kung 8/4/03 |
NOAA
News Releases 2003 NOAA Home Page NOAA Public Affairs |
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today awarded a grant totaling more than $1.8 million to the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The funds will provide economic relief to the North Carolina blue crab industry feeling the effects of recent crab population declines and reduced harvests and sales. NOAA is an agency of the Department of Commerce. The grant will fund a project to provide direct financial assistance to qualified blue crab fishermen and the blue crab industry in North Carolina. The funds will also be used to develop and implement marketing and promotion programs for blue crab. “We
are constantly working to strengthen local fisheries initiatives like
North Carolina’s blue crab economic assistance program,”
said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad
C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans
and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “This grant will help
support and sustain a portion of North Carolina’s fishing industry
and reinforce NOAA’s and the Bush Administration’s commitment
to fishing community.” The Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources. On the Web: NOAA:
http://www.noaa.gov |