Economic Relief Programs

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries was notified in March 2020 that it is eligible to receive $7.7 million in federal fishery disaster assistance after NOAA Fisheries approves the spending plan developed by the state.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is accepting applications for the Federally Funded Fishery Disaster Relief Program for Hurricane Florence. Financial relief is available to eligible seafood dealers and processors, ocean fishing piers, for-hire fishing operations, and bait and tackle shops affected by Hurricane Florence.

The division has mailed application packets to eligible licensed seafood dealers, ocean fishing piers, and for-hire fishing operations. Seafood processors and bait and tackle shops will not receive application packets in the mail but can access application instructions and materials by visiting division offices or from below.

North Carolina has been allocated a net amount of $7,589,618 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to assist in the economic recovery of losses and damages caused by Hurricane Florence through direct payments to qualified participants.

Applicants will be required to complete the application, affidavit, NC Substitute W-9, and must provide supporting materials that document revenue loss and property damage (estimates, receipts, bank statements, reports, personal trip tickets, proof of loss documentation, etc.). Financial payouts will be based on the loss of revenue in the months of September, October, and November of 2018 relative to the previous three-year revenue average during the same time period, along with damages caused by Hurricane Florence.

Commercial fishermen and aquaculture operations were compensated by the State Funded Hurricane Florence Relief Program and are therefore not eligible to apply for this program unless they are also a member of an eligible stakeholder group.

Applications and supporting documentation must be delivered in person to the division Headquarters Office at 3441 Arendell St., Morehead City or mailed to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, Hurricane Relief Program, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City N.C. 28557.

Applications and all documents must be received in the Morehead City Headquarters Office or mailed and postmarked by 5 p.m. April 18, 2022. Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted at other division offices. Applications and supporting documentation that are submitted after 5pm on April 18, 2022, will not be considered. 

For questions regarding the spending plan or the program, contact NCDMF staff at Hurricanerelief@ncdenr.gov or 252-503-3091.

Application and Supplemental Forms

More Information

More than $4.4 million in financial assistance is now available via the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CARES Act II) to eligible fisheries participants of North Carolina who sustained income losses in 2020 due to COVID-19. Applications were mailed to licensed participants on August 13, 2021. The application documents (application, affidavit, W-9) can be found below.

The application period for CARES Act II opens on August 16, 2021 and closes on October 1, 2021 at 5 p.m. Applications and supporting documentation must be delivered in person to the division Headquarters Office at 3441 Arendell St., Morehead City or mailed to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, CARES Act Fisheries Relief Program, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City N.C. 28557. Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted at other division offices. Applications and supporting documentation that are submitted after 5 p.m. on October 1, 2021 will not be considered.

For questions about this relief, email covid19relief@ncdenr.gov.

Application and Supplemental Forms

More Information

More than $5.2 million in financial assistance is on its way to eligible members of the fishing industries who sustained income losses in the spring of 2020 due to COVID-19.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries issued funds this week to 197 commercial fishermen and marine aquaculture operations, for-hire fishing operations, and seafood dealers and processors deemed eligible for assistance from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Fisheries Relief Program. Payments were made in the following categories:

An additional $161,287 went toward Division of Marine Fisheries administrative costs.

Application and Supplemental Forms

More Information

NC CARES Act Fishery Relief Program - Final Report

2019

Hurricane Florence made landfall on September 14th, 2018. With its landfall came record breaking levels of rainfall, historic storm surge levels, and high winds which caused extensive damage to the area. After the storm, the North Carolina General Assembly passed two session laws (2018-136 and 2018-138) which allocated a total of $11.6 million of aid for the commercial fishing industry (links found in table below). The relief funds allocated to the North Carolina commercial fishing industry were distributed by the NC Division of Marine Fisheries

The goal of the Hurricane Florence Fishery Assistance Program was to disperse funds to the commercial fishing industry.  There were three primary objectives:

• Establish eligibility criteria based on the guidance provided in Session Law
• Validate trip ticket landings for eligible commercial fishermen
• Determine and distribute final assistance award amounts

Eligibility requirements to receive aid were defined in Session Law 2018-138. Based on these requirements, the North Carolina Trip Ticket Program distributed financial relief to eligible commercial fishermen based on their potential losses due to Hurricane Florence in September, October, and November 2018 compared to their average landings in September, October, and November of 2015 to 2017. A summary of the 2018 legislation, and the NOAA National Hurricane Center Report can be found in the table below.

Distribution of aid occurred in two phases, losses that were incurred during September and losses that were incurred during October and November combined. The distribution of funds occurred over multiple check writes as late responders and disputes were processed and approved. In total, 1,176 participants across 39 different counties received aid. The total loss across fishermen that qualified for the program and sustained lost commercial fishing income in those months in 2018 based on trip ticket data was estimated at almost $15 million.  The money allocated to the Hurricane Florence Commercial Fishing Relief Program allowed fishermen to be compensated for around 77% of their average revenue from commercial fishing between September and November.

An analysis of the NC Trip Ticket Program (NCTTP) data for the months of September to November for participants who received aid showed that Hurricane Florence had a negative impact on several commercial fisheries including the blue crab pot, shrimp trawl, ocean gill net, flounder pound net, oyster, and hard clam fisheries. Most of these fisheries are based in estuarine waters (except for ocean gill net) and tend to be highly productive during the late summer and fall months.  The 2018 landings in the blue crab pot and shrimp fisheries declined by nearly 50% compared to the average of 2015–2017.  The hard clam fishery was impacted more severely, with over a 70% reduction.  The oyster, flounder pound net, and ocean gill net fisheries showed reductions of 25% to 35% in landings when compared to the average landings from 2015–2017. A fact sheet going over statistics and data interpretations can be found in the helpful links below, along with a copy of the final report.

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