Commercial fisheries in seven U.S. states have suffered from catastrophic failures and disasters over the past two years, making them eligible for federal aid, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. 
 
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross blamed the problems in part on extreme flooding in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi from the Gulf of Mexico. 
 
Other fishing operations in Alaska, California, Georgia and South Carolina have also been affected by natural disasters and other conditions. 
 
“Fishing is the cornerstone of countless coastal economies and has been a way of life for generations of Americans,” Ross said. 
 
Ross said fisheries that have suffered since 2017 were eligible receive up to $165 million in federal relief. 

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