Some members of Congress are proposing to give more resources to America’s young fishermen.
Their bill is called the Young Fishermen’s Development Act of 2017 and it is sponsored by Alaska Republican Rep. Don Young. Young’s proposal says the average age of fishermen is climbing because there are fewer new people entering the business.
The proposal, if approved, would make competitive grants available to support new and established training, education and technical programs for young fishermen. The federal Department of Commerce would provide $2 million in grants per year.
The bill’s co-sponsors include Maine Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree and Massachusetts Democratic Reps. Seth Moulton and William Keating. It has been referred to the Subcommittee on Water Power and Oceans. A similar bill has been introduced in the Senate.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
