Atlantic herring fishermen in the U.S. states of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island will receive USD 11.3 million (EUR 10.8 million) in funding from the U.S. government.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo declared the 2019 Atlantic herring fishery a “fishery disaster” on 22 November, 2021, after reviewing NOAA Fisheries data showing herring population and catch levels breached levels stipulated for a fishery disaster, as outlined in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act.
The Atlantic herring disaster heavily impacted New England’s fishing communities, Raimondo said.
As a result of the declaration, Maine’s struggling Atlantic herring industry will receive USD 7.2 million (EUR 6.9 million), to be administered by the NOAA fisheries and Maine Department of Marine Resources for disaster assistance, U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced.