July 16, 2020 — Local fishermen have had to figure out ways to stay afloat amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The industry has been impacted the closure of local restaurants and limited reopenings, which followed a COVID-19-driven slowdown in worldwide markets which began even before the virus hit American shores.
But fishermen, who have had excess supply because of the limited markets, have seen an even greater need locally: Families struggling to put food on the table because of sudden income loss due to the pandemic.
“They had extra fish they were willing to donate, but they didn’t have a way to get it to people in need,” Eating with the Ecosystem Program Director Kate Masury told Providence Business News. “In order to get it to the food pantries, it had to be processed and packaged in a certain way because seafood is perishable.”