SEATTLE, Wash. – Commercial fishers are now able to count their crew as part of their employee payroll to qualify for federal loans intended to help businesses through the coronavirus pandemic.
The Seattle Times reports that the federal rule change was made after captains discovered crew members could not be included in the first federal relief aid program.
The Paycheck Protection Program loans may be forgiven if certain conditions are met, including spending a large portion of the money to retain employees.
The Port of Bellingham recently released a study on how the pandemic shutdown has harmed the local commercial seafood industry.