Tag Archives: Maine groundfishermen

Maine groundfishermen hurt by quota cuts to receive $640,000 in disaster relief

cashThe funds will be distributed in the form of rebates to fishermen for the fees they pay at the Portland Fish Exchange. About 40 fishing boats that sell fish at the city-owned exchange will benefit as the money is distributed over the next year and a half, said General Manager Bert Jongerden. He said the fish exchange handles about 98 percent of the groundfish landed in Maine. “This is one way the government has seen to put money directly back onto the crews’ pockets,” Jongerden said. Read the rest here 08:24

$1.6 million in disaster aid split among 50 Maine fishermen

“The fishermen have been regulated so tightly they can’t earn a livelihood anymore,” he said. Maine fishermen have stayed within their catch limits for years but have suffered the consequences of “inflexible federal regulations,” Gov. Paul LePage said in a prepared statement. “I am glad that this economic relief will give Maine fishermen the flexibility to make an investment in their future, because our fishermen want a hand up, not a handout,” LePage said. Read more here 21:10