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A group of fishermen and their families, supported by the organization FURIA Inc. and the Community Legal Office of Inter-American University, demonstrated this week in front of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) to demand the immediate disbursement of $7.6 million in aid for the damages suffered after hurricanes Irma and Maria, which struck Puerto Rico in 2017.
“The delay in the disbursement of aid is incredible. These funds are vital for our work, since maintaining a boat, acquiring equipment and paying government permits requires a constant investment,” said Miguel Ortiz Serrano, president of the Puerto Rico Federation of Fishermen and Defenders of the Sea Inc. (FEPDEMAR by its acronym in Spanish), in a written statement. “It is not just a question of courage, but of resources to be able to go out to sea. We demand that the funds allocated to us be given to us.”
Attorney Juan Capella Noya, from the organization FURIA, said the DNER already submitted a proposal to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in December to distribute the aid, but the federal agency has not yet issued the final notification that allows its disbursement.
“The only thing that is needed is for NOAA to send the DNER a formal letter approving the distribution of funds according to the submitted plan,” Capella Noya. “At this point, what is needed is for both agencies to speed up the process.”
The DNER proposal provides that full-time licensed fishermen will receive higher compensation than part-timers. It is estimated that around 800 fishermen would benefit from the aid.
Nelson Boulogne Pimentel, a Vieques fishermen leader, criticized the lack of coordination between the agencies.
“It is outrageous that less than two months before the March 31 deadline, NOAA continues to delay the process and that the DNER does not insist more firmly,” Boulogne Pimentel said. “If communication between both agencies is key, how is it possible that the DNER has not arranged a meeting or sent a draft of the document to expedite its signature? The lack of action demonstrates a disconnection with the reality of the fishermen, who depend on these funds to survive.”
Ortiz Serrano added that designated Natural Resources and Environmental Resources Waldemar Quiles Pérez said he requested the intervention of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) to mediate with NOAA. However, the leader of FEPDEMAR questioned that decision.
“The agreement is between the DNER and the NOAA, not with PRFAA,” Ortiz Serrano said. “They are the ones who have to resolve it directly. What we need is for secretary Quiles to guarantee us that this money will be disbursed immediately after seven years of waiting.”
