Local Fisherman Receive $1.2 Million in National Aid
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 – Local fishermen whose livelihoods have been affected by federal restrictions, falling prices and higher fuel costs were given new hope Wednesday when U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao announced a $1.2 million national emergency grant to help approximately 249 Massachusetts residents.
The grant, awarded to the Massachusetts Departments of Labor and Workforce Development, will release an initial $395,833 to help train fishermen for jobs in industries with high growth potential.
Linnea Walsh, a spokeswoman for the combined departments, said she was not sure how many of the 249 intended beneficiaries of the money are in the New Bedford area but said the money would help those who needed it most.
“I can’t pinpoint a specific number right now at this time,” she said. “I know certainly that’s an area that’s been heavily impacted by the restrictions.”
Walsh said the money will be directed to the state’s workforce development system, which includes the One-Stop Career Center system. Of the 32 centers, the three in Gloucester, Hyannis and New Bedford include special services for fishermen and their families.
“Certainly these are the regions most heavily impacted by the fishing restrictions,” Walsh said.
It will provide job services and retraining for workers in the fishing industry focusing on high-growth, high-demand areas such as health care, marine transportation and technology.
“We want to help them get back on the road to gainful employment,” Walsh said.
Massachusetts Democratic Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John Kerry and Democratic Rep. Barney Frank said they were pleased the state received the grant. “Fishermen have a proud history and heritage in Massachusetts, and our state needs them in new trades to strengthen our economy,” Kennedy said in a press release. Kerry also acknowledged fishermen’s importance in a press release, saying, “These kinds of public-private partnerships are essential lifelines that ensure our citizens remain highly skilled and prepared to compete and win in the new economy.” Frank applauded the grant’s work training opportunities. “It is important that those who are unable to continue working due to reduced fishing opportunities are afforded the opportunity to do so through education and retraining,” he said.
The grant will help provide assessment services, career planning, employment development, individual counseling, job readiness preparation and highly specialized occupational skills training. Supportive services also will be available, including child care and transportation assistance.
Many Massachusetts fishermen were displaced by federal restrictions on the commercial fishing industry to comply with the 1996 Sustainable Fisheries Act. The New England Fisheries Council adopted new rules and management plans to comply with the act, , which imposed limitations on catching cod and other so-called ground fish., including a ceiling of 55 fishing days at sea each year.
“People just are not able to sustain themselves on so few days at sea,” said Deb Shrader, the director of Shore Support, an eight-year-old organization intended to help fishermen.
Walsh and Shrader both agreed that lower fish prices and increased fuel prices also hurt many fishermen.
“The industry and fishermen are certainly struggling, and they’re facing a lot of financial hardship, so today’s grant is certainly good news for fishermen in this area,” Walsh said.
Shrader acknowledged that “it’s very difficult to figure out a way that the government can compensate someone for losing a livelihood. This is the best option that’s on the table.”
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