Ayotte: Disaster Funds Will Provide Critical Relief to NH Fishermen

Press Release

U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte welcomed today's announcement that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is allocating $32.8 million in disaster relief for Northeast states that have been hard hit by onerous federal catch share limits - including New Hampshire. Ayotte worked to secure disaster relief funds in an appropriations bill that passed Congress last month, and has urged federal officials to work toward a more sensible regulatory climate that will allow New Hampshire's small-boat fishing fleet to survive in the long term. New Hampshire's share of the funds should be announced in the coming weeks.

In response to a letter last week from Ayotte and a bipartisan group of Senators from Northeast states, NOAA also announced today it would waive the state matching requirements for the disaster relief funds. The letter followed a meeting that Ayotte, along with Senator Shaheen and other New England Senators, held recently with NOAA officials concerning fishery disaster relief.

"I am pleased by NOAA's decision to allocate $32.8 million in economic relief for New England, and that the matching requirement for these funds will be waived," said Senator Ayotte. "This will help provide much needed support for New Hampshire's historic small boat fishing industry, which has been hit hardest by federal regulations. Moving forward, I remain committed to ensuring that these funds are received by those who need them most."

The 2014 appropriations bill included $75 million to be administered by NOAA for fishery disaster relief to help alleviate the economic impacts associated with declared commercial fishery failures and fishery resource disasters throughout the country.

Ayotte has been a strong advocate for New Hampshire fishermen, opposing federal catch share limits that are devastating the state's fishing community. Last year, she introduced the Saving Fishing Jobs Act, which aims to level the playing field for independent small fishermen by scrapping one-size-fits-all federal catch share programs if they result in significant job loss within a fishery, and putting management control back in the hands of fishermen, who have a vested interest in maintaining fish stocks.

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