Hurricane relief grants available soon for recreational fishing charters. Here's how to apply

TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa Bay area recreational fishing charter captains and crews hindered by last year's hurricane season will soon be eligible to apply for recovery grants.

The backstory:

It hasn't been an easy year for many industries, including recreational fishing charters. Hurricanes Helene and Milton, along with Tropical Storm Debby, made it unsafe to hit the water for weeks.

"Being a charter captain, there's already inconsistencies with thunderstorms and weather and you already have your slow seasons... You throw a hurricane in the mix, it's not just a few days, it's weeks and months," Captain Travis Pack with Captain Pack Sparrow Adventures said.

Suncoast Waterkeeper Dr. Abbey Tyrna said there were several byproducts from the storm that negatively impacted captains like Pack.

"The water quality was bad, they couldn't come down, there were no places to stay," she said. "It just unfortunately took a large toll on this community."

Hurricanes Helene and Milton each left water quality in poor condition for about a week.

"Debby by far became the worst water quality storm," Dr. Tyrna said. "Even though it was just a tropical storm as it went by, it still brought so much rain. All of that rain on our land moved into the bays and the gulf and it created just terrible water quality conditions for up to three weeks."

Fishing conditions were not ideal either.

"There's also really low dissolved oxygen which is necessary for fish to thrive," she said.

Tourism also took a hit.

"Are you able to come down here anymore? Is the place that you're renting still here?" Dr. Tyrna said.

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Storm damage was a concern, as well.

"Are there docks to leave from? How is your boat? Are you able to get to the barrier islands, to your marina?" she said.

Captain Dylan Hubbard with Hubbard's Marina said that was what set he and his employees back.

"Luckily our boats weren't damaged," he explained. "Our facilities were damaged and we lost almost all of our inventory and our parts. And a lot of different mechanisms that helped make our charter operations go."

Dig deeper:

Dr. Tyrna said both waterkeepers have fostered an important relationship with local charters.

"They see the pollution, they see what's going and they really are the eyes on the suncoast," she said. "It's been so beneficial to us to take quick reaction to let the right agency know, to follow up with the agency to make sure there's enforcement and an inspection happening."

Through a new grant, both waterkeepers want to help them make up for lost time.

"We were lucky to receive a grant from the International Game Fish Association, World Wide Anglers Relief Fund and that fund really is for eligible captains and guides to receive up to $1,000 to help them recover just a small amount of the costs and expenses that they lost during last hurricane season," she said.

The application portal goes live this Saturday, July 26, and is available through Aug 2.

"The top scorers will receive up to $1,000, so we're just so glad that we're able to provide this little relief to our fishermen in the area," Dr. Tyrna said.

To learn more, click here.

"It's nice having these grants out there to help people out like me. You can get back on your feet and even a little bit helps," Captain Pack said.

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