The chairman of the Town of East Hampton’s fisheries advisory committee told the town trustees on Monday that the committee has raised $35,000 toward the $100,000 cost of an analysis of the socioeconomic importance of fisheries to the town, and asked that the trustees consider making a contribution of their own.
Brad Loewen, a bayman and a former town councilman, told the trustees that the State Industrial Development Agencies has awarded a $25,000 grant toward the study, which would be conducted by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County and cover the commercial and for-hire recreational fishing industries as well as aquaculture interests. The town, to which Mr. Loewen had appealed in the spring, has agreed to provide $10,000.
The town board recognizes the importance of these industries, Mr. Loewen said, but the state and federal governments seem to have some bias in not recognizing we’re an industry. The committee would like a study to be completed as quickly as possible, he said, because none exists. There are data, statistics, various things that management and we and you guys could look at if you have questions about fisheries, but nothing comprehensive. We don’t even know how many people work in our industry, or what it’s worth, in a scientific way.
Initially focusing on East Hampton, the committee decided to expand the scope of the proposed study to cover the five East End towns, Mr. Loewen said. The committee has asked for contributions from the Towns of Southampton and Southold, which he said agreed that a study would be valuable but have yet to make a commitment. When we make grant applications . . . everybody says it has to be more regional to be considered, he said.
Regional’ is the new government buzzword, said Bill Taylor, a deputy clerk of the trustees.
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