BOSTON (SHNS) – After getting $28 million in aid last year, the Massachusetts fishing industry will soon benefit from another $23 million in federal government assistance, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey said Wednesday.
The Bay State’s $23 million chunk is the third-largest state allocation of $255 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Markey said.
“Our fishing industries are at the core of our culture and economy in Massachusetts. Given the unrelenting challenges associated with the pandemic, the $23 million in aid for the Commonwealth is another down-payment on the help these industries deserve,” Markey said. “We are home to the highest grossing port in the nation, and additional support will be needed to match our vital contribution to the fishing economy.”
The port of New Bedford brings in about $430 million worth of seafood each year, making it the highest grossing port in the United States for 19 years running.
Last March, Markey and other members of the state’s Congressional delegation got the U.S. Department of Agriculture to agree to purchase $20 million in Atlantic haddock, pollock, and redfish to help East Coast seafood producers.