South Shore fisheries received $2.9 million in federal relief

South Shore fisheries hauled in $2.9 million in federal money designated for the industry last year, about 10 percent of the total received for Massachusetts.

That money went to 126 commercial fishermen, charter boat owners, aquaculture farmers and seafood processors.

The 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, known more commonly as the CARES Act, authorized over $2 trillion in relief to individuals, businesses, hospitals, loan programs and other recipients to help ease the economic impacts of COVID-19.

The Paycheck Protection Program loans, known as PPP loans, were also part of that package, which injected $1.3 billion into the South Shore economy, with forgivable loans to 10,974 companies.

More:$1.3 billion in federal loans flow to South Shore companies

In May 2020, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced an allocation of $300 million for fisheries assistance. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Massachusetts received the third-highest amount in funding with about $28 million. Alaska and Washington received the most with $50 million each and Maine was fifth with about $20.3 million. 

On the South Shore, Duxbury businesses received the most aid, $710,486 for 27 businesses, followed by Plymouth with $595,809 for 36 businesses; Scituate with $525,360 for 19 businesses; and Marshfield with $232,929 for 13 businesses.

The state Division of Marine Fisheries was assigned to develop the relief spending plan, which NOAA Fisheries approved in late July 2020. The amount of money to disburse dropped to about $27.8 million after the costs of personnel and application mailing materials were deducted. 

State officials and experts divided the relief money into four categories: about 50 percent, or $13.8 million, for seafood processing or wholesale dealers; about 43 percent, or $11.8 million, for commercial fishing businesses; 4.2 pecent, or $1.1 million, for aquaculture; and about 2.1 percent, or $584,000, for charter fishing businesses.

Most of the money distributed to the South Shore was split between commercial fishermen, $1.3 million, and seafood processors, $1.1 million. Aquaculture's haul was $295,322.

All payments for commercial relief were mailed by Nov. 10, 2020, and all seafood processor and wholesaler relief payments were mailed by Oct. 2, 2020. According to the state, Massachusetts was the first state to distribute the money and issued all payments by November.

Only businesses that suffered a 35 percent revenue loss due to COVID-19 were eligible for CARES funds. The state also developed some sector-specific criteria for aid amount, such as fleet size and number of employees.

The money provided much-needed relief for an industry seeing up to a 49 percent drop in landings revenue, according to a recent report from NOAA Fisheries.

More:Skipping the middle man: Marshfield lobsterman sells directly to customers

The report found that 78 percent of fish harvesters surveyed in the Northeast stopped their fishing trips for a period of time between March and July 2020. 

Some CARES recipients also received loans from the Paycheck Protection Program, according to data released by the Small Business Administration.

More:Local lobstermen face an uncertain season

Not all those who applied received money. There were 1,270 applications in Massachusetts, 955 of which were approved. On the South Shore, 160 businesses applied but only 126 were approved.

Plymouth received the most denials, 10, followed by Duxbury with seven and Marshfield with five.

More:NOAA report reveals COVID-19 impact on fisheries

Scott Soares, consulting coordinator for the Massachusetts Aquaculture Association, said while the money Massachusetts received wasn't nearly enough to combat the economic impacts of COVID-19, they were certainly a "great help."

Soares, who also served on the marine fisheries division's advisory panel to develop the spending plan, said growers at that time were looking at up to an 80 percent revenue loss.

Today, they are seeing about a 70 percent drop, on average, but it's slowly beginning to improve, he said. He expects it could take up to a year or more to get back to 2019 levels.

The state's aquaculture sector received other forms of relief from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, The Nature Conservancy and Cape Cod organizations through oyster purchasing programs, all of which helped move some products.  

"A lot of thanks to our legislative leaders who are thinking about the fishing industry," Soares said.

More:Boston archdiocese received $13 million in taxpayer-funded COVID relief loans

In late December, Congress passed a second COVID-19 economic relief bill, this time to the tune of $900 billion. Of that, Congress allocated a second round of $300 million for fisheries disaster assistance. 

Last month, the state marine fisheries division said in a statement the money will be distributed to states in early 2021, at which point the agency's working groups will reconvene to help distribute the next round of funding. 

NOAA Fisheries could not provide further details as to when money would be disbursed to states.

More:Let's Eat, Ledgerland: Duxbury's Real Oyster Cult has recipe for romance

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. Please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription.