Pallone Announces Federal Approval of Funding to Support New Jersey Fishing Communities

Long Branch – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ- 06) announced that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) approved New Jersey’s spending plan for $9.5 million in federal aid for New Jersey’s commercial and charter fishing industry that he announced in June.

Pallone helped secure the funding as part of the omnibus and coronavirus relief bill Congress passed and was signed into law last December. This is the second round of federal funding Congress has allotted to help fishing communities during the coronavirus pandemic.

“I am pleased that another round of federal funding will be delivered to New Jersey’s fishing industry. This is another step in the right direction to ensure our region’s fishing businesses and their families get the assistance they need to withstand the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent economic storm,” said Pallone. “This pandemic has been devasting to the men and women of our state’s fishing industry. That’s why I fought to secure this funding in Congress and am working to make sure these funds are released quickly to the people who need them.”

“NJDEP welcomes this new funding for New Jersey’s fishing communities and our critical seafood industries that have been impacted by the ongoing pandemic,” said New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette. “These additional resources will both directly support the women and men of our commercial and recreational fishing sectors and bolster the industry as a whole. Not only a vital part of New Jersey’s economic engine, our fisherman and the communities they support remain a key part of who we are as a State. NJDEP is incredibly grateful to Congressman Pallone and the New Jersey delegation for fighting so hard to lift us all up out of the pandemic together.”

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Pallone has fought for fair distribution of federal funding for New Jersey’s commercial fishing industry. Pallone helped secure more than $11 million for in federal funding for New Jersey from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which allocated $300 million in fisheries assistance. In March, Pallone held a press conference with fishermen in Belford to highlight the first round of aid delivered to New Jersey’s fishing communities and the importance of the fishing industry to the state’s economy.

New Jersey’s commercial fishing industry generates over $8 billion annually supporting over 50,000 jobs and has one of the largest saltwater recreational fishing industries in the United States.