Shaheen Reaches Out to NH Fishermen on Brink of Collapse

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen pledged her continued support for New Hampshire's struggling fishing industry on Thursday morning at the Portsmouth Commercial Fish Pier.

Shaheen learned about how New Hampshire Community Seafood is trying to create new markets for the few fishermen who are still landing ground fish in the state. She told the fishermen she is hopeful that she and other members of the New Hampshire Congressional delegation can secure $150 million in federal disaster aid to help preserve what is left for infrastructure and provide financial assistance.

Josh Wiersma, co-founder of the NH Community Seafood group, told Shaheen their members want relief so fishermen can go after species like cod and dogfish. He said there is a market for dogfish filets that are being sold for $10 apiece.

He said many Portsmouth restaurants have also promoted species to create a demand for dogfish, hake, white pollock and other ground fish.

"Our goal is not to be a seafood store, but to be a community of seafood lovers," he said.

Shaheen said the New Hampshire fishing industry "has been hit harder than any other in New England."

She said she and other New England senators have tried unsuccessfully to get $150 million passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and it is now back in the Senate. She said there may be $5 to 10 million available in grants to aid programs like NH Community Seafood.

Erik Anderson, president of the NH Commercial Fishermen's Association, said help is desperately needed. He said Portsmouth once had 15 ground fishing boats and now there are just two or three fishermen who still go out. Landings have decreased from as much as 8 million pounds a few years ago to less than 1 million pounds this year.

Anderson also said the "Bible of fisheries," the Magnusson-Stevens Act, is being reauthorized, and sector management reduced the amount of fish that New Hampshire fishermen can catch by 40 percent.

"Time is not on the side of this industry," Anderson said.

He also told Shaheen, "You don't turn this industry off and then turn it on again."

Shaheen said it will take the continued work of many people to improve this situation.

She said the Senate Commerce Committee has begun hearings regarding the fishing regulations and there is a chance some of them can be tweaked to provide some relief.

"We're doing everything we can to help our fishing industry," Shaheen said.