Kerry Farm Bill Amendment Would Provide Aid, Relief to Massachusetts Fishermen »

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Kerry Farm Bill Amendment Would Provide Aid, Relief to Massachusetts Fishermen

For Immediate Release: Thursday, June 14, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) today discussed his amendment to provide disaster loans and economic relief to Massachusetts fishermen.

Kerry's amendment to the Agriculture Reform Food and Jobs Act of 2012, more commonly known as the "Farm Bill," would make Massachusetts fishermen eligible for Emergency Disaster Loans under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

"I want to see fishermen in Massachusetts given the same kind of help that farmers in the Midwest receive when times are tough.  Fishing in Massachusetts means tens of thousands of jobs and our fishermen are literally the farmers of the ocean," Sen. Kerry said today in remarks on the Senate Floor.  "We have two of the largest ports in the nation for the landing of fish, in Gloucester and New Bedford.  But it's becoming harder and harder for smaller fishing families and smaller fishing boats to survive.  Fishermen across the nation risk their lives every day to put food on America's kitchen table.  I believe they are agriculture producers just like other farmers.  They should be treated with the same respect that other farmers are being given in this legislation."

Kerry amendment #2187 to add fishermen as eligible recipients of Emergency Disaster Loans would expand the Emergency Disaster Loan program to include fishermen.  When a county has been declared a disaster area by either the President or the Secretary of Agriculture, agricultural producers in that county may become eligible for low-interest emergency disaster (EM) loans available through USDA's Farm Service Agency. EM loan funds may be used to help eligible farmers, ranchers, and aquaculture producers recover from production losses (when the producer suffers a significant loss of an annual crop) or from physical losses (such as repairing or replacing damaged or destroyed structures or equipment, or for the replanting of permanent crops such as orchards).

Senator Kerry's full floor statement, as prepared, is below:

Mr. President, I have filed an amendment, number 2187, which is cosponsored by Senators Murkowski, Senator Begich, Senator Leiberman, and Scott Brown to resolve an important inequity in current law and help provide desperately needed disaster assistance to fishermen in Massachusetts and around the nation.   I hope the managers of this legislation will let this bipartisan amendment receive a vote during the Senate consideration of this legislation.

Fishing in Massachusetts is an important part of our culture.  It has always been an integral part of the Massachusetts economy.  We have two of the largest ports in the nation for the landing of fish, in Gloucester and New Bedford.  And the commercial fishing industry supports directly or indirectly some 83,000 jobs in the state and at least $4.4 billion in revenue.

However, it's becoming harder and harder for smaller fishing families and smaller fishing boats to survive.

The latest big challenge for our fishermen came last fall when NOAA announced a significant reversal in the most recent Gulf of Maine Cod assessment.  Within three years of each other, two radically different stock assessments were released - the first assessment showed a species on the rise while the most recent survey shows a dramatic decline.  NOAA is currently undertaking a new survey for next year that could impose a severe limit in fishing on the Gulf of Maine that could further endanger the livelihood of our small boat fishermen. 

And this is just the latest in a long string of problems.  Right now, a significant number of our fishing businesses are operating at or below break-even points.  Many fishermen are trying to survive by drawing on personal income or extended credit, shifting more fishing costs to crews, shrinking crew size, or postponing vessel maintenance. 

My amendment would simply expand eligibility for the Emergency Disaster Loan program to include commercial fishermen of fin fish and shellfish.  It would allow fishermen, who are the farmers of the sea, to be eligible for low-interest emergency disaster loans available through the Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency. It is my understanding that this amendment would have no score. 

Mr. President, fishermen across the nation risk their lives every day to put food on America's kitchen table.  I believe they are agriculture producers just like other farmers.  They should be treated with the same respect that other farmers are being given in this legislation.  My amendment simply ends an inequity in the law that denies them access to federal disaster assistance.   I hope all Senators can support this amendment.

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