Aid for watermen gets the OK

By Tracy Bell

Published: November 19, 2008

STAFFORD — Responding to what those in the industry have deemed a blue crab commercial fishery collapse in September, the U.S. Department of Commerce on Tuesday approved making up to $10 million available to Virginia.

U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., and Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine made an announcement regarding the crabs Tuesday.

The federal government is also making $10 million available for Maryland watermen.

“This is great news for the Commonwealth, our beloved blue crab fishery and the watermen community that rely upon it for their livelihood,” said Kaine in a released statement.

The crab harvest is down 34 percent, due to pollution and abundant fishing. 

Kaine said he petitioned U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez in May to issue a commercial fishery failure declaration for the bay’s blue crab fishery. Since then, fishery experts have been working with the National Marine Fisheries Service to provide the necessary information to justify this declaration, he said.

Virginia and Maryland have also adopted regulations to boost crab populations in the Chesapeake Bay by reducing harvests.

“This emergency funding will come as a welcome relief for the watermen and their families who have been hit hard by recent fishing restrictions and a shrinking blue crab harvest,“ Webb said.

U.S. Rob Wittman, R-1st District, issued a statement on the matter, noting: “These funds will assist watermen and create programs to improve habitat and bring back the blue crab.” 

Kaine said the aid would be used to pay watermen for working in different jobs, to train them in other techniques and possibly to initiate a buy-back program to reduce the number of watermen harvesting crabs.

Media General’s Jeff Schapiro contributed to this report.