Press Release 10/25/21

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today announced that New Jersey will receive $826,807 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support seafood processors and to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including measures to protect workers against COVID-19. The grant is from the Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety (SPRS) Block Grant Program that provides grants to eligible state agencies and territories and was included in the Omnibus and Coronavirus Relief Bill Congress passed and was signed into law in December 2020.

“The COVID-19 pandemic deeply affected our state’s fishing community. Throughout this pandemic, I’ve fought for funding for the men and women who work hard to ensure that New Jersey’s fishing industry is the best in the nation,” Pallone said. “This funding will go a long way to support the health and well-being of seafood processors and make sure they have safe and adequate work conditions during this public health crisis.”

Pallone has been a longtime advocate for the fishing and seafood industry in New Jersey. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, he fought for funding to help the industry alleviate the hardships it endured as a result of the public health crisis. In May 2020, Pallone announced New Jersey would receive $11 million in federal funding to help the state’s fishing industry in the CARES Act. The industry in New Jersey received an additional $9.5 million from the Omnibus and Coronavirus relief bill Congress passed and was signed into law last December.