Contact: Scott Smullen FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(301) 713-2370 3/2/95
Tammy Graham
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A second round of Fishing Industry Grants (FIGs) totalling $4.5 million is available to assist New England fishermen and others affected by the decline of Northeast fisheries, the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced today. The agency is seeking innovative grant proposals that will help develop alternative employment or new business opportunities in and outside the fisheries.
NOAA officials said that the agency has refocused this second round of FIGs to assist more directly those fishermen who have been dependent on groundfish and other traditional Northeast fishery resources and who have been hard hit by the virtual collapse of those species in New England waters. The agency will be accepting FIG proposals until April 30.
"The FIG program is an excellent way to provide assistance to working fishermen who are developing ways to respond to this crisis," said Doug Hall, Commerce's assistant secretary for oceans and atmosphere. "Fishermen have shown us they have many ideas that can shift fishing effort away from overfished species, and we believe the FIG program is a way to bring some of those ideas to fruition."
NOAA is soliciting proposals that will promote the development of commercial fishing and markets for underutilized fish species and develop methods for eliminating or reducing the catch of non-targeted species, or bycatch. Underutilized fish species in New England waters include red hake, Atlantic mackerel, Atlantic herring, butterfish and skate.
One new feature is that the criteria for judging applications will now explicitly include the degree to which eligible fishermen are employed in project implementation. NOAA has also decided not to require matching funds for this round, but rather applications will be favored if they can leverage additional funding.
Another new feature in this round of the program is that additional points will be given to proposals that include participation by those who own or operate a fishing vessel in the groundfish fishery who agree to cease fishing for and retain cod, haddock and yellowtail flounder for the duration of the assistance period.
This second round of grants is part of the Commerce Departmentþs $30 million Northeast Fisheries Economic Assistance Plan. NOAA was directed to award $9 million in grants in two rounds to the Northeast fishing industry that was affected by the near extinction there of the traditional fisheries of cod, haddock and yellowtail flounder. Applicants may submit FIG proposals to NOAAþs National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Regional Office, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930- 2298.
Of the 201 proposals received in the first round of the FIG program, $4.5 million has been awarded or is in the process of being awarded to 28 applicants. Eleven of the 28 projects will address development of commercial fisheries and markets for under-exploited finfish and shellfish, nine will focus on aquaculture, and eight will explore various aspects of new business opportunities for displaced fishermen. The projects will result in immediate part-time or full-time employment for about 80 fishing industry participants and will provide training opportunities outside of traditional Northeast fisheries for about 250 fishermen.