A bipartisan group of U.S. representatives and senators from West Coast states have secured relief for groundfishermen in the region as part of the USD 1.4 trillion (EUR 1.26 trillion) spending bill for the 2020 fiscal year the House passed on Tuesday, 17 December.
The bill would forgive more than USD 10 million (EUR 9 million) in interest that lawmakers said should never have been accrued, according to a press release issued by U.S. Rep Jared Huffman (D-California).
The money is part of a buyout program NOAA Fisheries initiated nearly 20 years ago after then-Commerce Secretary William Daley declared the West Coast groundfish fishery a disaster. Congress approved USD 46 million (EUR 41.4 million) to reduce the number of trawlers in the fishery after its harvest rapidly declined. Of that amount, USD 36 million (EUR 32.4 million) was to be repaid by those remaining in the fishery.
However, lawmakers claim NOAA Fisheries missed a deadline to establish a repayment system by 18 months. As a result, fishermen were not allowed to start making payments, even though interest began accruing.
“It’s hard enough work without government failures making business harder,” said U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Oregon) in a statement. “Government inaction has left the fishing industry with a costly and unnecessary burden. This legislation corrects that wrong.”
According to a letter from U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Dianne Feinstein (D-California), Kamala Harris (D-California), Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), and Patty Murray (D-Washington), fishermen have repaid USD 34 million (EUR 30.6 million) but, thanks in part to interest compounding from the delay, they still owe USD 22.4 million (EUR 20.1 million).
Both Murray and Merkley serve on the Senate Appropriations Committee, whose members played a key role in negotiating what initiatives were included in the spending bill.
“I’m glad we were able to secure some much-needed relief for Washington state’s groundfishing fleet,” Murray said in a statement. “Our fisheries play a vital role in the Pacific Northwest, and this provision is an overdue correction by Congress to lift an unnecessary burden off of our trawlers who do so much to support our culture, economy, and communities.”
Huffman said the groundfish fishery serves as an important example of how fisheries can recover and represent “an environmental success story.” Removing the excess interest will make sure the fishery remains viable.
The bill still needs to be approved by the Senate, and if that happens as expected, President Donald Trump would need to sign the bill by Friday night to avoid a government shutdown.
Photo courtesy of Lowe Llaguno/Shutterstock
