HYANNIS – The U.S. Department of Agriculture Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant Program is awarding $1.1 million in federal funding for Massachusetts seafood processors and wholesale dealers for expenses related to COVID-19.
Reimbursement will be administered through the Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Marine Fisheries and will cover costs such as workplace safety measures, transportation, retrofitting facilities, and worker housing.
Eligible applicants must have held a Massachusetts Wholesale Seafood Dealer Permit in 2020 or 2021, must be endorsed for processing activities, and must have kept records of eligible expenses between January 27, 2020 and December 31, 2021.
“The Covid-19 pandemic seriously impacted Massachusetts’ commercial seafood industry, particularly during times when consumers were not eating out in restaurants,” said Division of Marine Fisheries Director Dan McKiernan, .
“We were happy to coordinate the distribution of more than $50 million in federal CARES Act funds to commercial fisherman, aquaculture operations, the for-hire fishing sector, and seafood processors and wholesale dealers,” he said.
“This additional funding will help the industry with unexpected costs related to the pandemic.”
The Division of Marine Fisheries will work with industry partners to develop an application and distribute them to eligible beneficiaries in coming weeks.
By, Matthew Tomlinson, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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