Massachusetts’ plan for distributing $8.2 million in state-specific fishery assistance grants includes proposals to fund direct assistance to crew members and shoreside businesses, as well as vocational and vessel safety training, cooperative research and local seafood marketing.

Speaking in a meeting Monday night at the state Division of Marine Fisheries Annisquam Station in front of about 70 fishermen and stakeholders, state officials filled in some of the details of the plan to disburse the $14.5 million headed to Massachusetts.

Those funds come from the $75 million federal package Congress appropriated in January to assist a half-dozen fisheries across the nation where federal government already has declared fishing disasters.

As part of an agreement between the state fisheries directors and NOAA, that nearly $33 million is being portioned into three elements: approximately $11 million in direct assistance to 333 eligible permit holders; about $11 million in state-specific grants that are designed to help crew members and eligible shoreside businesses, as well as fund cooperative research.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times>>

Want to read more about Federal disaster aid? Click here...