PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The herring fishing industry in the Northeast qualifies for federal assistance because its 2019 season has been declared a disaster.
The federal government has the ability to declare a "fishery disaster" when adverse circumstances in a fishery cause economic hardship.
A recent scientific assessment of the herring population found that the species population has fallen, and tighter fishing quotas have made herring fishing more difficult.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the disaster declaration on Monday.
