Massachusetts multispecies fishery economic assistance

This Report to the Administrator of the Northeast Regional Office of NOAA Fisheries and other interested parties summarizes the distribution of $5.5 million to the fishermen and fishing communities of Massachusetts, according to a Congressional appropriation in August 2002, for $11 million for the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. There are three basic parts and appendices in the report. The first briefly summarizes why the appropriation was granted and its allocation among the New England States, including background material on the management of the fishery by Days-At-Sea, and the court decision that resulted in impacts to industry. The second section describes the objectives and development of the MA Multi-Species Economic Assistance Program. The third section outlines implementation and summary statistics on the various programs within the larger Assistance program; including how many fishermen hold federal permits, how many hold state permits, and how many qualified for inclusion in each program. Grant no. NA03NMF4540029