SENATOR COLLINS ANNOUNCES $2,000,000 FOR MAINE SHELLFISH HARVESTERS
U.S. Senator Susan Collins today announced that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will make available up to $2,000,000 for the State of Maine to help mitigate the effects of the recent outbreak of red tide. The funding comes as part of a $5,000,000 package to assist the shell fishing industries in Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
“This funding will help Maine’s fishing and coastal communities recover from last summer’s damaging red tide outbreak,” said Senator Collins. “This devastating outbreak closed shell fishing grounds for several weeks causing severe financial hardship for fishermen and their families.”
The states will now submit plans to NOAA’s Fisheries Service outlining how the funds will be used.
Shellfish closures due to the harmful algal bloom began in the waters off Massachusetts in May and spread north into the waters off New Hampshire and Maine. Fishermen were unable to harvest clams, mussels, oysters and other shellfish in areas closed after tests showed the shellfish was infected with a single cell algae that when ingested by humans can lead to potentially lethal paralytic shellfish poisoning.
Although some closures have been lifted, many areas remain closed. When a similar outbreak occurred in 2005, the Department of Commerce determined a commercial fishery failure.
“This funding will help Maine’s fishing and coastal communities recover from last summer’s damaging red tide outbreak,” said Senator Collins. “This devastating outbreak closed shell fishing grounds for several weeks causing severe financial hardship for fishermen and their families.”
The states will now submit plans to NOAA’s Fisheries Service outlining how the funds will be used.
Shellfish closures due to the harmful algal bloom began in the waters off Massachusetts in May and spread north into the waters off New Hampshire and Maine. Fishermen were unable to harvest clams, mussels, oysters and other shellfish in areas closed after tests showed the shellfish was infected with a single cell algae that when ingested by humans can lead to potentially lethal paralytic shellfish poisoning.
Although some closures have been lifted, many areas remain closed. When a similar outbreak occurred in 2005, the Department of Commerce determined a commercial fishery failure.
