Press Releases

Today, Representatives Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee urging them to provide disaster assistance funding for those affected by the 2009 shellfish season in Maine, which was recently declared a commercial fisheries failure by the Department of Commerce. In 2009, Maine had one of its most severe red tides in recent history, which resulted in closures of up to 97 percent of the fisheries.

"This disaster affected about 3,000 harvesters and dealers that depend directly on access to healthy shellfish beds," said Michaud and Pingree. "Granting this funding will be critical to those that were hit hard by the 2009 season and help rebuild our shellfish industry."

The full text of the letter sent by Michaud and Pingree:

Dear Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Dicks:

Thank you for working to get our economy on a sustainable and responsible path. We are writing to respectfully request disaster relief funding for the 2009 shellfish season in Maine, a recently declared commercial fisheries failure, to be included in any funding source for Fiscal Year 2011 or 2012.

In 2009, Maine had one of its most severe red tides in recent history and the red tide resulted in closures of up to 97 percent of the fisheries. Approximately 3,000 harvesters and dealers depend directly upon access to healthy shellfish beds and Maine's Department of Marine Resources (DMR) estimates total annual economic value of this industry in Maine at over $50 million, with the largest proportion of that value generated from May through August. In some areas, closures lasted from April all the way through September, with devastating results to Maine's shellfish harvesters and the local economy.

On October 5, 2009, the Governor of Maine formally requested that the Secretary of Commerce declare a commercial fisheries failure for Maine's 2009 shellfish season. Fourteen months later, in December 2010, Secretary Locke determined that a commercial fishery failure occurred in 2009 due to red tide. The Department of Commerce carefully considered the evidence and determined that the 2009 season met the requirements of a fishery failure under Section 312(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act qualifying the fishery for relief under the Act.

Maine shellfish harvesters had a commercial fishery failure in the summer of 2009 and this is the first opportunity for Congress to appropriate funds since the disaster declaration. Please appropriate the necessary disaster relief funds for the 2009 red tide event pursuant to Section 312(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

Sincerely,

Michael H. Michaud Chellie Pingree