TARR ANNOUNCES REQUEST FOR ECONOMIC DISASTER MONEY

4/09/07 

BOSTON- Senate Assistant Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) said today that he is appreciative of the efforts of Governor Deval Patrick in requesting federal disaster relief for those in the Commonwealth’s commercial fishing industry.  Tarr said that the report sent to U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez makes a compelling case for relief.  The action follows a request by Tarr and others for a federal relief initiative.

 Tarr said that “Director Diodati, Executive Director Calomo and stakeholders in our fishing industry have done outstanding work that financial relief is needed and deserved.”  He added that “with the assistance of our federal delegation, I am optimistic that fishing ports and families will see the resources they need to help them survive until a more sustainable regulatory framework is developed.”

 In December 2006, the Massachusetts Fisheries Recovery Commission released an economic impact report to illustrate a detailed picture of the economic damage that fishing communities have endured due to Amendments 5 (1994), 7 (1996) and 13 (2004) to the federal multispecies fishery management plan.  The report, which was authored by economists Brett Baden and Marcelo Bianconi, revealed that Gloucester, Rockport, Plymouth County and New Bedford have lost more than $16 million in revenue since the implementation of Amendment 5 but prior to the effects of the newest suite of regulations known as framework 42.

 Below is a timeline of recent events that have lead to the formal request:

 * December 15, 2006-Senator Tarr and a group of legislators sent former Governor Mitt 

Romney a letter asking him to make the formal request.

 * February 2, 2007-a second letter was sent to newly elected Governor Deval Patrick.

 * February 16, 2007-Governor Patrick invited signers of the letters and fishery industry officials and stakeholders in his chamber to discuss the future impact of Framework 42 on groundfishing in the Commonwealth.

 * February 21, 2007-Governor Patrick announces that he will formally ask for federal aid

 * March 28, 2007-Governor Patrick comes to Gloucester, accepting an invitation from Senator

 Tarr and Representative Verga to talk to local fishermen about the effects that federal

 regulations have had on the fleet.

 

 * April 9, 2007-Governor Patrick submits a formal request and a report facilitating the

 circumstances that Massachusetts coastal communities are facing in regards to an

 economic disaster.