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$75 Million to Aid 6 U.S. Fisheries

The funding will go to ‘fishery disasters’ in Alaska, Florida, New York and beyond.

NOAA Fisheries is allocating $75 million appropriated by the U.S. Congress to six fisheries that the Department of Commerce declared fishery disasters in 2012 and 2013.

“Our nation’s fisheries are critically important to the lives and livelihoods of many communities,” Eileen Sobeck, NOAA Fisheries assistant administrator, stated in a press release. “NOAA Fisheries will work with affected communities, states and tribes as quickly as possible to ensure that the disaster relief funding gets allocated as quickly as possible.”

The six regions slated to receive the funding are American Samoa, which experienced a tsunami in 2009; Mississippi, which had major river flooding in 2011; New England’s groundfish fishery; Alaska’s Chinook salmon fishery; Florida’s oyster fishery in the Gulf of Mexico; and New York and New Jersey fisheries affected by Superstorm Sandy.

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Each region will have broad authority in determining how to use the funds, which are intended to restore the fisheries, prevent future problems or assist communities affected by the fishery disasters. NOAA Fisheries will help recipients develop plans that meet statutory and grant requirements.

More details are at www.noaa.gov.

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