Courtney Announces $200,000 in Relief Funding Being Made Available to Connecticut Shellfish Farmers and Fisheries
New COVID relief funding was authorized under H.R. 133, and will be dispersed by CT DEEP
NORWICH, CT – Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) shared the announcement that the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) is set to receive $200,000 in federal pandemic relief assistance to support shellfish farmers, fisheries, and others in the Connecticut seafood industry. The new federal relief funding was awarded to CT DEEP through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and was authorized by H.R. 133, a COVID-19 relief bill that Courtney helped pass in December 2020.
CT DEEP's award of $200,000 is part of a $50 million investment in ongoing pandemic relief for the seafood industry nationwide that was announced this week by USDA. All funding is authorized by H.R. 133. In Connecticut, CT DEEP will utilize the relief funding to reimburse local seafood dealers, wholesalers, and processors for expanses required to prepare for, prevent exposure to, and respond to COVID-19 from January 27, 2020—December 31, 2021.
"People are ready for their lives and careers to get back to normal, and that's what this new round of support is intended to help our shellfish growers, fishermen, and seafood processors out with," said Congressman Courtney. "All of our local small businesses and employers took on totally unforeseen expenses just to stay afloat during the pandemic, and the seafood industry was one of the hardest hit—this new federal funding is going to keep helping them offset some of those COVID-related costs and market fluctuations while they get back to full-steam. These are exactly the sort of real, local, important jobs we need to be looking out for when we talk about getting our food system and supply chain back on track, and my office will be ready to help any and all of our local aquaculture and seafood producers apply for this funding as soon as applications are available."
USDA outlines six expense categories eligible for reimbursement: Workplace Safety Measures, Market Pivots, Retrofitting Facilities, Transportation, Worker Housing, and Medical Expenses. Click here to learn more.
CT DEEP are in the process of developing application and outreach materials for new seafood industry relief funding. More information will be available soon.
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