With New Jersey’s commercial fishing industry about to receive a second round of federal coronavirus aid, boat owners and those who run fishing-related businesses say the extra money is helping to keep them afloat.
The state’s fishing industry received $11 million last March under an early aid bill. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. says it should get roughly the same amount under a second bill passed in December.
At a news conference Monday at the Belford Seafood Cooperative in Middletown, boat owners and those who run related businesses said the extra money could make the difference between working and not working this year.
“[Rep. Pallone] helped us to continue our business and survive through this pandemic,” says Jung Kim with Fred’s Bait & Tackle in South Amboy.
New Jersey’s commercial fishing industry generates more than $8 billion annual and supports more than 50,000 jobs.
The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.