USDA Seafood Trade Relief Program Update – https://www.farmers.gov/Seafood
APPLICATIONS STARTED MONDAY (9/14)
For the first time in history, fishermen are getting relief from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) for trade impacts similar to relief given to farmers. You will need to show your 2019 landings which USDA will apply to a pre-determined formula. For a complete list of species and rates, click HERE.
Salmon for example, salmon fishermen are eligible to receive .16/lb. for all salmon harvested in 2019. If you landed 90,000 lbs in 2019, you could get $14,400 from USDA.
Some restrictions apply, there is a $250,000 cap on relief payments and fishermen must still be in business at the time of application. In addition, an applicant’s average adjusted gross income (AGI) cannot exceed $900,000 unless at least 75 percent of the AGI of the person or entity comes from farming, ranching, forestry, seafood harvesting, or related activities. Set up your account with USDA TODAY HERE (https://www.farmers.gov/mydocs). Applications will be available Sep 14 – Dec 14 HERE. The USDA has announced this is NOT a first-come-first-served situation. The monies awarded were already calculated to cover all permit holders and fisheries. Apply through their local USDA Service Center. To find them visit the website www.farmers.gov/service-center-locator. The application can be found at www.farmers.gov/seafood.
FAQs available at HERE