HOUMA, La. (AP) — Commercial fishermen, seafood dealers and charter boat operators who got help from a $27 million disaster relief program after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita may be getting a second check before long.
Martin Bourgeois, a biologist with the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, says that when the original program wrapped up last year, state officials found themselves with $3.2 million in fisheries aid left over.
He says more than 8,000 fishermen in south Louisiana qualified for the program, but many never responded, some never filled out the papers properly, and some wanted the money to go to people who needed it more.
So the remaining money will be divided among those who received a check earlier under the program.
