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$406,481 more funding for NMI fishermen
Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (MP-Ind) disclosed over the weekend that the Northern Marianas will receive $406,481 in additional fisheries assistance funding on top of the $980,000 that was previously allocated to the CNMI.
In his e-kilili newsletter, Sablan said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries division announced last Monday that the additional funds are provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 for areas with coastal and marine fishery participants who have been negatively affected by COVID-19.
He said the funding will support activities previously authorized under Section 1205 of the Coronavirus, Recovery, and Economic Security Act, which provided $1 million to impacted Marianas fishers to offset losses caused by the pandemic to commercial, subsistence, cultural or ceremonial fishing.
“Eligible fishery participants include commercial fishing businesses, charter/for-hire fishing businesses, aquaculture operations, processors, and other fishery-relate businesses,” Sablan said.
The delegate said that, similar to the first round of funding, the Commonwealth must now develop a spending plan to be approved by NOAA, before payments can be made to eligible applicants.
Last December, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and Division of Fish and Wildlife director Manny Pangelinan announced the allocation of $980,000, after the NOAA approved the CNMI’s CARES Act “Spending Plan.”
Pangelinan then stated that foreign workers—worker under the CNMI-Only Transitional Workers program—are eligible for such program.
He said to qualify, these CW workers must be in the fishing industry and are here to legally or have a current approved immigration status.
The distribution of assistance checks to approved businesses and fishermen will be made directly via mail from the NOAA Hawaii Office between May 3 and June 16, 2021.
The CNMI government is not going to release the money; it’s the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission.
