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Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (Md.-07), a member of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force released the following statement after the announcement of the inclusion of $75 million in funding for declared fisheries disasters across the country in the final spending package for the session. This announcement comes on the heels of yesterday’s decision by Department of Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez to support Governor Martin O’Malley’s request for a disaster declaration for the Chesapeake Bay blue crab.
“The Maryland Blue Crab is one of the greatest symbols of our State, and its survival is essential to the survival of our State’s economy. Commercial crabbers have witnessed a dramatic decline in their harvests—70 percent since the 1990’s—and with the industry facing a 34 percent reduction in the female crab harvest, the industry is truly in a state of disaster. As Marylanders continue to struggle through the consequences of the poor economic policies championed by President Bush and John McCain, it is even more critical that we provide federal assistance to the watermen and crab processors whose livelihoods depend on this industry.
“I applaud the hard work by my colleagues Senator Mikulski and Congressman Ruppersberger in securing these funds as part of the greater goal of the entire Maryland delegation to protect the Chesapeake Bay and keep our State’s economy afloat.”
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