Fishery Relief Assistance Programs

The Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant Program provides grants to eligible state agencies and territories to support seafood processors, including at-sea processing vessels, to respond to coronavirus, including for measures to protect workers against COVID-19. The federal grant opportunity was publicly noticed by the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service on September 22, 2021 and can be found at the links provided below.
RIDEM is the sole Rhode Island applicant for this block grant. USDA has determined that the Rhode Island allocation of SPRS funding is $371,412. Upon receipt of these funds, RIDEM will provide direct payments to eligible seafood processors, dealers and processing vessels to reimburse them for eligible expenses incurred between January 27, 2020 and December 31, 2021, upon application to RIDEM and subject to the limits of RI’s total allocation.
RIDEM has been conducting outreach to ensure that eligible beneficiaries are aware of this relief and understand the requirements of the funding opportunity. Two public meetings have been held to date.

Regulations Part 20 - Regulations Governing the Administration of the Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant Provided to the State of Rhode Island by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service Under Title VII, Subtitle B, § 751 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Pub. Law 116-260 (H.R. 133) in Response to the Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic

Based on the public input provided at these meetings, RIDEM will develop and submit an application for the RI block grant by November 22, 2021, the application deadline. Upon receipt of the grant, which is expected in January 2022, RIDEM will launch a second phase of public meetings, including a regulatory workshop and hearing, to finalize the details of the program. Soon thereafter, an application period for eligible RI-based processors, dealers and processing vessels will be announced. A preliminary estimate for the timing of this application period is March-April 2022. 

Refer to this page for meeting notices and program updates as they become available. For direct receipt of notifications pertaining to this program, as well as other RI marine fisheries meetings, notices, and general information, subscribe to the RIDEM Marine Fisheries email list by clicking on this link.

Additional Resources

• SPRS program page
• SPRS program FAQs

Note for aquaculturists
Please be aware that this SPRS program does not include funding for aquaculturists. The USDA has an alternate program (Pandemic Response and Safety Grants) for aquaculturists to apply directly to the USDA for disaster relief funding. Refer to the below link for program details. https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/prs

Questions about this program can be directed to Dan Costa, State Port Manager, at 401-782-4587 or dan.costa@dem.ri.gov.

The RIDEM, Division of Marine Fisheries will be using economic relief funds funneled through NOAA Fisheries to assist the Rhode Island Lobster Industry in compliance with the recent NOAA final rule implementing changes to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan for the 2022 fishing year beginning May 1. The funds will be used to assist the industry in compliance with weak line and or weak line insert requirements which are accepted by NOAA to mitigate serious injury and mortality of large whales but specifically North Atlantic Right Whales. The funds will be used to replace or modify current gear configurations and help to defer the associated cost for these modifications. Each active participant will be given the opportunity to acquire replacement vertical line or weak line inserts purchased by the Department to comply with the take reduction plan, with the eligibility amount to be based on an individual’s trap allocation, fishing activity and corresponding vertical lines.

Regulations Part 18 - Emergency Regulations Governing the Use of Federal Funds Provided to the State of Rhode Island for the Large Whale Gear Modification Assistance Plan

Regulations Part 17 - Emergency Regulations Governing the Administration of Federal Fisheries Disaster Relief Funding Provided to the State of Rhode Island Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021

On March 29, 2021, NOAA Fisheries announced the allocation of an additional $255 million in fisheries assistance funding for coastal states provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. The funding will support activities previously authorized under Sec. 12005 of the CARES Act. It will be allocated to states and territories with coastal and marine fishery participants who have been negatively affected by COVID-19.
For More Information:

• NOAA Announcement
• Secretary of Commerce Announcement

There are 4 groups eligible for relief funds; aquaculture, commercial fishing, party and charter, and seafood processors.

Regulations Part 16 - Emergency Regulations Governing the Administration of Federal Fisheries Relief Funding Provided to the State of Rhode Island Under the CARES Act