Watermen could get federal relief

Friday, May 9, 2008

Calling the industry a ‘‘commercial fishery failure,” Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) last week formally made the request for federal relief funds. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski announced Friday the funding is part of an emergency supplemental spending package that must still be approved by Congress and signed by the president. The money would pay watermen for Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts and ease the predicted burden on the crab processing industry if new regulations on female crabs are approved this year.

Along with September and October bushel limits and an early season closure for commercial crabbers, Maryland officials hope a season-long ban on catching females by recreational crabbers will cut by one-third the harvest of female crabs.

Economic impacts on 10,000 Maryland watermen and the processing industry are estimated at $15 million over the next three years.

Mikulski’s office said that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would distribute $75 million to address the needs for assistance in the Chesapeake, the Gulf Coast, New England and for Pacific salmon.

O’Malley previously said there is $3 million of state funding available to hire watermen for various bay restoration jobs, including rebuilding oyster reefs and underwater grasses.

‘‘I would have to see what it all boils down to,” said Joe Bowles, a commercial crabber from Leonardtown. He said he might be interested in doing oyster or other bay restoration work paid by the state. ‘‘If they’re going to shut you down early so you can’t make a decent living out of it, anything would be a help,” Bowles said.

JESSE YEATMAN