Help for Hawaii longliners

摘要

Fishermen displaced from the swordfish or tuna fisheries in Hawaii may be eligible for economic assistance from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. More than 100 vessels and crew were displaced in 2001 due to court injunctions issued by the U.S. District Court as part of a lawsuit brought against the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) by the Center for Marine Conservation (now Ocean Conservancy) and Turtle Island Restoration Network. The lawsuit was filed in February 1999. Several orders that clarified or amended the original ruling sent the tuna and swordfish fisheries on a topsy-turvy ride through the next two years. The end result was a complete closure of the Hawaii swordfish fishery and significant restrictions to the tuna fishery. Effective November 21, the federal Directed Economic Assistance Program began offering 3 million dollar to help fishermen and fishing communities. Swordfish vessel owners are to receive twice as much financial assistance as tuna vessel owners, according to the notice. To qualify, an applicant must have l) owned a vessel registered for use under a Hawaii longline limited-access permit, and 2) harvested Pacific pelagic management unit (PMU) species (swordfish or tuna) during the eligibility period as documented by logbooks.