NOAA Giving Disaster Funds To Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire For Shellfishing Industry Losses From Red Tide

November 19, 2008 8:42 a.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Federal fisheries officials announced red tide disaster funds of $2 million each to Maine and Massachusetts and $1 million to New Hampshire to help the shellfishing industries there affected by closures this year.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced the funds Monday after U.S. Commerce Department officials on Friday had declared a commercial fishery failure in those states this year.

Red tide is a toxic algal bloom that can make shellfish dangerous to eat, which is what happened this year. The red tide outbreaks resulted in shutting down harvesting of clams, mussels, oysters and other shellfish in the affected areas starting in May, which caused severe loss of income in the commercial shellfishing industry. And some areas are still closed.

States will now submit plans to NOAA's Fisheries Service outlining how the funds will be used, Jim Balsiger, acting NOAA assistant administrator for NOAA's Fisheries Service, explained in a statement.

"The assistance we are announcing today will help the states and their shellfish industries find long-term solutions to outbreaks of harmful algal blooms," Balsiger said . "We encourage the states to use this aid for scientific research to better understand the causes and improve monitoring of harmful algal blooms. Aid should also be used to find ways to minimize the economic effects of these outbreaks on the shellfish industry."