An Act to provide economic security for fishing industry participants

This bill directs the Massachusetts Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development to study how state and federal fishing regulations, such as area closures and gear limits, impact the financial stability of commercial fishermen. The legislation requires the Secretary to create a plan that could include changes to the state's unemployment insurance system to better support workers facing income loss due to these rules. The plan must specifically consider economic hardships caused by seasonal lobster fishery closures designed to protect North Atlantic Right Whales. Any resulting plan and legislative recommendations must be submitted to the state legislature by April 1, 2022.