Saving Seafood

State and Local

N.J.’s fishing industry has taken a beating from coronavirus. Will easing of restrictions save it?

May 26, 2020 — Dale Parsons is a fifth-generation clammer whose family has owned Parsons Seafood in Tuckerton since 1909. He’s quick to tell you, proudly, that his facility in Little Egg Harbor has both an oyster shell recycling program and the only restored living oyster reef in New Jersey.

These days, however, things at Parsons Seafood are tight. The coronavirus pandemic, and the wave of restrictions put in place to slow the disease, has pushed his business down about 40%, Parsons said.

That big hit is driven by the loss of restaurant demand — no one eating at restaurants means no one is ordering fish.

“We’re down quite a bit,” Parsons said, who noted that that his retail business has tripled, though it doesn’t make up for what restaurants would normally buy. “We’ve improvised and sourced some new costumer base.”

As the coronavirus gripped New Jersey, stories like Parsons’ are common: commercial captains have seen restaurant demand evaporate; and the wholesalers that move the seafood from dock to table have been forced to find new markets.

Read the full story at NJ.com

COVID-weary Florida seafood restaurants, wholesalers crank back into gear

May 26, 2020 — This coming Memorial Day weekend is supposed to be a time of reflection in the US as the country salutes its fallen soldiers but, for Dewey Destin and others in Florida’s seafood restaurant industry, it’s also a time to hustle for business as the tourists begin their annual summer invasion of the US state.

Thanks to the recent easing by Florida of its coronavirus-related restraints, Destin already is seeing an uptick in traffic at his three Dewey Destin’s Restaurants locations on the state’s panhandle this weekend.

“I would say the last 10 days we’ve been close to probably 80% of what it should be. So it’s looking fairly good,” the owner told Undercurrent News on Friday, adding: “As long as we don’t have a spike in people getting sick, which could put us all back to zero again.”

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

Senator Collins, Congresswoman Pingree Urge Swift Disbursement of Relief to Maine Fishing Industry

May 22, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Senator Susan Collins (R-ME):

Senator Susan Collins and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today wrote to Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) Commissioner Patrick Keliher, advocating for swift allocation of the more than $20 million Maine received through the CARES Act for fishing industry relief. The lawmakers encouraged DMR to quickly develop a plan for how the funding would be allocated in the state. Full text of Collins and Pingree’s letter is available online here and below this release.

“With each day that passes, the damage imposed upon Maine’s hardworking harvesters and seafood supply chain businesses worsens. As your team works to develop a plan for how this funding will be allocated within the state, we stand ready to assist the Department and to ensure that NOAA’s approval of the state’s ultimate plan occurs as quickly as possible,” said Collins and Pingree in their letter. “As your federal partners we are fully prepared to provide any additional support as implementation moves forward. As Congress considers further COVID-19 relief legislation, we will continue to advocate for additional fishing industry relief given that the market disruptions are not likely to dissipate soon.”

The Maine delegation has urged direct and substantial relief for Maine’s aquaculture and fishing industries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 70% of seafood produced in the United States is consumed in restaurants and export markets have been hurt by travel and trade restrictions; Maine’s seafood industry has been almost completely shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Senator Collins and Representative Pingree worked with bipartisan groups of their colleagues from coastal states to secure $300 million in the CARES Act specifically to assist fishermen and fishery-related businesses such as dealers, processors, and aquaculture operations affected by COVID-19. Both Collins and Pingree wrote to the U.S. Department of Commerce to call on them to quickly release this urgently needed financial assistance to Maine fishermen.

Dear Commissioner Keliher, 

We are pleased that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has finally announced the allocation of $300 million in fishing industry relief provided by Sec.12005 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, of which Maine will receive more than $20 million. Your Department plays an essential role in ensuring that our fishermen and lobstermen are able to support their families and communities – a role that has become even more critical in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

With each day that passes, the damage imposed upon Maine’s hardworking harvesters and seafood supply chain businesses worsens. As your team works to develop a plan for how this funding will be allocated within the state, we stand ready to assist the Department and to ensure that NOAA’s approval of the state’s ultimate plan occurs promptly. 

We appreciate the attention and effort that your Department is dedicating to the efficient and effective distribution of this critical funding, including your solicitation of input from the industry via survey on how this money would be best spent. It is absolutely critical that this assistance be provided as quickly as possible to those individuals working on the water whose livelihoods have suffered through no fault of their own. As Congress considers further COVID-19 relief legislation, we will continue to advocate for additional fishing industry relief given that the market disruptions are likely to persist well into the summer.

Again, thank you for your work on behalf of Maine. The Maine seafood industry and those who work within it are defined by resilience, and we are confident that – with the support of the state and federal government – this sector will demonstrate its resilience once again.

This press release can be found online here.

NC Commercial Fishing Resource Fund Launches New Statewide Public Relations Campaign Called Always NC Fresh

May 22, 2020 — The following was released by the North Carolina Fisheries Association:

The NC Commercial Fishing Resource Fund (NCCFRF) this week launched a statewide public relations campaign called Always NC Fresh. Always NC Fresh, funded by the North Carolina Commercial Fishing Resource Fund (NCCFRF), works to increase awareness of commercial fishing and fishermen, support existing sustainable fishing practices and help commercial fishermen communicate their contributions – economic, cultural and environmental – to the state and its citizens.

Glenn Skinner, Executive Director of NC Fisheries Association (NCFA) and NCCFRF Committee Member, stated, “The Always NC Fresh public relations campaign could not have come at a better time as many of our fishermen have been hit hard by the impacts of COVID-19.” Skinner added, “Commercial fishing has been a part of North Carolina’s coastal communities and economy for hundreds of years, and it was time for us to reintroduce our fishermen to the citizens of this great state. We have a great story to tell and we’re proud to be a part of this new campaign.”

“Commercial fishermen are good people who are a fundamental part of the economy and way of life in North Carolina’s coastal communities,” said Brent Fulcher, NCFA Chairman. “They want nothing more than to provide fresh, wholesome seafood and go to great lengths to care for the natural resources that sustain their way of life. The public should know that, and Always NC Fresh is an important step in reconnecting consumers to the hardworking, responsible men and women who harvest their seafood.”

The Always NC Fresh launch includes a new brand, billboards, videos, website (www.alwaysncfresh.com) and a robust social media campaign (@alwaysncfresh). The NCCFRF awarded the public relations campaign to two Raleigh-based public relations firms, S&A Communications and Blue Red Marketing.

The Commercial Fishing Resources Fund is composed of a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the commercial fishing licenses issued by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (NCDMF). The NC General Assembly created the fund to support the development of sustainable commercial fishing in the State.

Florida Seafood Business Owners Break Down Reopening Process, Impacts of COVID-19

May 22, 2020 — The seafood sector in Florida is beginning to reopen businesses and the Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance (GCSA) provided a look into how business owners are approaching the process.

Florida members of the Alliance, which represents restaurants, hotels, fishermen and seafood dealers tied to the fishing economy in the Gulf of Mexico, are placing a priority on limiting the spread of COVID-19 and supporting those impacted by the pandemic while following all of the state’s reopening guidelines.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Fishing industry in Hawaii to receive millions in targeted COVID-19 aid

May 21, 2020 — Congressman Ed Case (HI-01) recently announced that more than $4.3 million is now available for the State of Hawaii’s fishing and aquaculture industry impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources is the agency tasked to administer the funds to eligible applicants.

“Those eligible for the funds include commercial fishing businesses, charter for hire fishing companies, qualified aquaculture operations and marine fisheries management agencies,” said Case.

The money was made available through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), which Congress passed with overwhelming bi-partisan support and was signed into law by the president on March 27, 2020.

Nationally, the funds are administered through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Read the full story at Lahaina News

$11 million in aid aimed at Alabama’s seafood, fishing industries

May 21, 2020 — Gov. Kay Ivey has announced that more than $11 million in federal relief money, some of it coronavirus-related, will be directed to fishing- and seafood-related industries.

Details such as who will be eligible for the funds and how the application process will work remain to be ironed out. A statement issued Wednesday by the governor’s office said some of the money will be used to offset coronavirus-related losses, while the lion’s share “will be used to address a range of impacts including those to commercial fishing businesses, charter/for-hire fishing businesses, qualified aquaculture operations, seafood processors, and the fishing ecosystem and environment.”

According to the governor’s office, $3.3 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act will go to “qualifying applicants in the state’s seafood industry who have been affected by the COVID-19 epidemic.”

An additional $8.6 million comes from federal fisheries disaster relief funds being directed to Alabama because of freshwater flooding that harmed Gulf of Mexico fisheries in 2019. According to Wednesday’s announcement, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) is working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries division to establish eligibility guidelines.

Read the full story at AL.com

Nordic Aquafarms close to clearing final permitting hurdle for building Maine-based salmon RAS

May 21, 2020 — Nordic Aquafarms’ Belfast, Maine, U.S.A.-based salmon recirculating aquaculture system plans have moved past a major point in the progress, as the state’s Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) recently met to deliberate four major permits required for the project.

The BEP deliberated four separate permits for the site: A discharge permit, a site law permit, a natural resources permit, and an air emissions permit. All those permits are necessary for Nordic’s planned 850,000 gross square-foot, USD 500 million (EUR 456 million) facility.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Trident Seafoods’ Boss Charts Safer Course for Alaska Fishing Season

May 21, 2020 — Joe Bundrant runs one of the world’s largest seafood companies. He knows that without healthy fishermen there will be no catch in the bountiful waters off Alaska’s coast.

Mr. Bundrant, the 54-year-old chief executive of Trident Seafoods, has enforced a strict quarantine to protect people and keep business going during the critical summer fishing season. The pandemic could wreak havoc on the Last Frontier, and Mr. Bundrant wants to avoid a repeat of the 1918 pandemic that decimated Alaska’s remote communities.

“If I’m going to put 145 people on a ship, including my son, and ask them not to get off the ship for six months, this is my only choice,” Mr. Bundrant said.

The $10 million effort includes isolating hundreds of workers for two weeks before sending them to sea and remote fishing villages, their rooms monitored by quarantined guards. On day 15, if they have tested negative for the virus, they are ushered by quarantined drivers to ships or private airplanes to begin a six-month fishing season in some of the world’s most remote waters.

There are consequences for those who refuse to play along. The six workers who tried to leave quarantine were fired.

Trident is the largest U.S. seafood company, employing 5,000 during the peak fishing season in Alaska. The state’s fishing industry catches 60% of the seafood in the U.S., including salmon, cod, halibut, rock fish and herring.

The fishing industry is seasonal, presenting a challenge for a company trying to prevent the spread of a virus in an industry considered among the most hazardous in the U.S.

Read the full story at The Wall Street Journal