BOSTON – Bay State commercial fishermen will receive $13.4 million in federal disaster relief this summer under a state plan approved by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“Our groundfishing communities have been hard hit by federal restrictions,” Gov. Deval L. Patrick said in announcing the approval yesterday at the Boston Fish Pier. The federal aid will help offset the $22 million in estimated losses sustained by the regional economy as a result of federal limits on groundfish harvesting, his office said.

The money comes from an appropriation secured by the state’s U.S. senators – Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy, who is recovering from surgery, and John Kerry, who was on hand for the announcement – after the federal government refused Patrick’s request last year that a fishery resource disaster be declared for Massachusetts. (READ MORE)

“I thank Senators Kennedy and Kerry and other members of the congressional delegation for obtaining these funds, and for working with my team to make sure it gets distributed to the people who need it,” Patrick said.

“The over 1,500 miles of Massachusetts coastlines and the communities it includes are not just part of our history and identity, but a vital part of our economy,” added Lt. Governor Timothy P. Murray. “The preservation and promotion of our fishing industry is an important part of the Patrick-Murray Administration’s economic agenda.”

The aid distribution plan was developed by the Mass. Division of Marine Fisheries after consultation with industry stakeholders and public meetings in New Bedford, Gloucester and Plymouth. Submitted to NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Office on April 15, it was approved last week.

“Thousands of Massachusetts fishermen are finally getting the urgent relief they need,” Kerry said yesterday. “I am happy that, as a result of the all of our hard work, we are able to deliver the financial assistance that will enable thousands of our fishermen to get back on their feet and allow for the survival of one of our state’s most significant and storied industries.”

“Senator Kennedy is delighted that this long overdue relief is finally being made available to the fishermen,” Kennedy spokeswoman Melissa Wagoner said in a statement. “Those who have been harmed by the reductions in their days at sea mandated by Framework 42 should contact the Division of Marine Fisheries to apply for this well-deserved assistance.”

Over the next two months the Marine Fisheries Division will use state and federal fish permit records to determine who may qualify for relief. Applications for aid will be mailed to permit holders beginning this week. The applications also will be posted online, for others who think they may qualify.

Payments “should be distributed by the end of August,” state officials said. Qualified state and federal permit holders in the commercial groundfish industry will receive more than $11.3 million in direct subsidies under the plan. Fishing crew members will receive another $1.5 million, part of which will go to finance health insurance coverage for crew members and their families.

“I am very grateful to Governor Patrick, Senator Kennedy, Senator Kerry and our representatives in Congress for obtaining this emergency assistance for our struggling fishing families,” Angela Sanfilippo, executive director of the Massachusetts Fishermen’s Partnership and president of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association, said in a statement yesterday. “This financial relief will be much appreciated by captains, crews and families, up and down the Massachusetts coast, who make their livings from the sea.”

Additional information about the Mass. Division of Fisheries and its 2008 Groundfish Assistance Program is available at www.mass.gov/dfwele/dmf.