The Secretary of Commerce announced the allocation of $300 million in fisheries assistance funding as part of the CARES Act, to states and territories with coastal and marine fishery participants who have been negatively affected by COVID–19.
NOAA Fisheries will allocate these funds to interstate marine fisheries commissions who will then disburse funds to individual states to address direct or indirect fishery-related losses related to COVID-19.
AFFTA is urging coastal-based AFFTA members eligible for funding—including charter/for-hire, guides, retailers and other fishery-related businesses—to work with their state marine fisheries management agencies to understand the process for applying for these funds.