There is some good news this week for the state's hard-pressed [Massachusetts] fishermen: Most of a $13.4 million federal assistance grant will be used to help them stay in business, not to buy them out of business.

In recent months, that has not been a sure thing.

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration — which took control of the grant after it was secured by the Massachusetts congressional delegation, led by U.S. Sens. John Kerry and Ted Kennedy — had insisted that it would release the money expeditiously only if the state agreed to use about half of it for "capacity reduction" of the fleet. And this is a Massachusetts fleet that, at about 400 vessels, is less than half what it was before federal regulations began placing ever-stricter limits on catch and days at sea.

On the other side, thankfully, were the state's Division of Marine Fisheries, the state's political leaders and the entire fishing community, including those in Gloucester, who argued that the intent of the grant was for direct aid to sustain, not reduce, the fleet.

This week, Kerry's office announced that NOAA plans to accept the state's proposal. Monica Allen, a spokeswoman for NOAA, stopped shy of confirming the deal was done; she noted that the state's application had been received just this week, was being reviewed, and said it would be moved, "as quickly as possible." But Kerry's office made it clear the word on NOAA's decision had indeed come from NOAA officials. And the fact is, giving the aid to help keep the fishermen and their industry afloat is not only the intent of the funding earmark, it's the choice that makes best economic sense for an industry that has wrongly faced being legislated out of business thanks to these federal government constraints.

A number of people deserve credit for that resolution in the fishermen's favor.

Kerry, especially, kept the pressure on — he met recently with Dr. William F. Brennan, President Bush's nominee for assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere, and urged him to "sort through the bureaucratic mess" to get the money to those who need it — the fishermen. Kerry credits Brennan with breaking the apparent impasse.

Credit also goes to Paul Diodati, the director of the state Division of Marine Fisheries, who — with the backing of the state's two U.S. senators — made it clear he did not intend to compromise with NOAA. Kudos go to groups such as the Gloucester-based Northeast Seafood Coalition and its executive director, Jackie O'Dell, who kept the fishermen's plight in the spotlight and thus helped hold political leaders' feet to the fire. And credit should also go to the fishermen themselves, who turned out in sufficient numbers and with enough resolve to drive home their concerns when Diodati and his Marine Fisheries colleagues visited Gloucester and the state's other prime fishing ports to gather input as to how the aid should be distributed.

There is one remaining cloud over all of this; NOAA still appears to be intent on skimming an unconscionable $481,751 for "grant administration and oversight" off the top of the appropriation.

The state is taking an administrative fee as well, of $338,249, but is actually working for the money. Diodati and his colleagues organized and conducted hearings in Gloucester, New Bedford and Plymouth — and they have worked to boil down the numbers and come up with a formula for the distribution. But for NOAA to claim it needs nearly another half-million dollars just because the money is passing through its fingers is an outrage — especially when it is supposed to go to people who really need it.

Brennan and others would really be heroes in Gloucester and beyond if they could reverse that decision as well.