The Department of Agriculture has announced that $1 million in relief funds is available to fishermen on Guam under the CARES Act.
A news release from the department says that the Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources has contacted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to find out the process for Guam fishermen to receive the money.
NOAA is currently developing precise guidelines on who qualifies and how the funding will be distributed.
The Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources has already written a draft plan based on general guidelines already provided and will submit this for approval once NOAA has finalized its guidelines.
A fisheries commission will be established to receive the relief funds and oversee the dispersal to individual fishermen on Guam.
To apply for a share of the money you must register with the Department of Agriculture’s Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources.
The application is attached and can be downloaded here.
Chelsa Muña-Brecht, Director of the Department of Agriculture, urges fishermen to register.
“Our goal is to have every Guam fisher benefit from this program. In order to make that happen we need to first establish how many fishers we have, both commercial and sustenance.”
“DOAG DAWR worked with the WestPac Guam Fisheries Advisory Panel and the Fishermen’s Co-Op to ensure that the registration form and draft plan considers each type of fisher fairly. We are here to help our community benefit and thrive,” said Muña-Brecht.
If you have questions or concerns, please email fisheries@doag.guam.gov or call 735-0294.
Fishermen can also find the registration form at doag.guam.gov under Resources then Forms.
The registration form is also being distributed via Whatsapp through fishers’ chat groups.
Hard copies of the forms are also available in the Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources office.
For those with digital access, the Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources recommends downloading the free Adobe Acrobat app, or something similar, to fill out the form, sign it digitally, and then email the form to fisheries@doag.guam.gov.
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