Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSETTS: Kennedy: Coronavirus aid for fisheries ‘insufficient’

June 4, 2020 — The $28 million in COVID-related federal assistance to help the Massachusetts seafood industry is insufficient “and will not address the economic pain felt throughout the commonwealth,” U.S. Senate candidate Joseph P. Kennedy III stated in a letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

Kennedy, who represents the state’s 4th congressional district, blamed the insufficiency on the lack of employment data in the funding methodology used by NOAA Fisheries to distribute the $300 million in federal fisheries assistance to individual states.

In May, NOAA Fisheries, which is part of the Commerce Department, announced Massachusetts will receive $28,004,176, or 9.3% of the $300 million contained for fisheries assistance in the Coronavirus Relief and Economic Security, or CARES, Act.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

US lawmakers calling for more fishery relief funding and changes in allocation

June 4, 2020 — U.S. lawmakers are continuing the call for more funding for the seafood industry, which has been battered by the COVID-19 crisis. However, the window for such funding may be closing.

States with seafood industries received a collective USD 300 million (EUR 264.2 million) in funding through the CARES Act in March, and officials from the Trump administration announced the allocation splits of those funds last month. However, even before those allocations were announced, elected officials from both parties and fishing sector leaders were saying it would not be enough to cover the damage the coronavirus has wreaked on the industry.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Fishers urged to register for $1M given for Guam fisheries

June 2, 2020 — Of $300 million set aside from the CARES Act for fisheries throughout the U.S. and territories, Guam will be receiving $1 million.

The Guam Department of Agriculture’s Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources is in communication with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration working on guidelines for the money.

Once the guidelines are developed, the money will be given to a fisheries commission that will oversee the dispersal of the money to individual fishers on Guam, according to the agency. That commission will work with the Agriculture division to develop a plan for Guam and in anticipation of this, the division has already written a draft plan based on general guidelines already provided and will submit this for approval once the guidelines are ready.

Read the full story at KUAM

US pollock, haddock harvesters threatened by advice against seafood aid double dipping

June 2, 2020 — Any fisheries that’ve benefited from other relief efforts should get lower priority when it comes to any future benefits awarded to the seafood industry, the president Donald Trump administration’s top fishery policy advisors have recommended.

While the advice doesn’t appear to interfere with the $300 million awarded the seafood industry as part of the earlier passed $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, it threatens other assistance to the Alaska pollock and New England groundfish fisheries as well as US catfish farmers, one longtime fishing industry professional argues.

Also, it doesn’t mesh with lawmakers’ original intent, the source maintains.

Read the full story at Undercurrent 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

PA Receives $3.3 million in CARES Act Funding for Fisheries Support

May 20, 2020 — Pennsylvania is one of the beneficiaries of the Commerce Department’s allocation of $300 million in CARES Act funding to support marine fisheries and states that have “direct and indirect” commerce with that industry.

Receiving approximately $3.3 million, Pennsylvania will be directed to use the funding for support of businesses within fishery industry, including “Tribes, commercial fishing businesses, charter/for-hire fishing businesses, qualified aquaculture operations, processors, and other” fishery businesses. Not included are “vessel repair businesses, restaurants, or seafood retailers.” New Jersey receives $11.3 million.

Read the full story at WLVT

Trump administration renews push for expanding U.S. aquaculture

May 19, 2020 — Giving pandemic relief funds to the seafood industry and stepping on the gas for offshore fish farming are two big takeaways from the executive orders and congressional packages coming out of the nation’s capital.

Recent news that Alaska would receive $50 million from the $300 million fisheries relief funds in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was well received by industry stakeholders and it’s likely to be followed by more.

A May 15 hearing called “COVID 19 impacts to American Fisheries and the Seafood Supply Chain” was scheduled by the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee to focus on the lack of assistance for harvesters and processors.

Read the full story at the Anchorage Daily News

Seafood industry hit hard by economic downturn of pandemic

May 19, 2020 — Seafood company managers like Jon Pearlman can see the impact of the coronavirus and economic downturn simply by looking at the trucks leaving the lot.

During a busy season, almost 30 of them are used to transport hundreds of orders every day. However, over the last two months, the amount of trucks has dwindled.

“Today, I’ve got seven,” Pearlman said. “The last two months have been devastating.”

As the president of the Congressional Seafood Company, Pearlman has witnessed the growing popularity of seafood around Maryland and surrounding areas since beginning operations in 1996.

But with the company mainly doing business with high-end restaurants, hotels, and caterers, the economic downturn this year has brought things to a crawl.

“It’s heartbreaking, it’s scary, I’m certainly nervous for the future,” Pearlman said. “Where a restaurant used to maybe spend $1,000 or $1,500 on seafood for their daily allowance, now they have two items that they’re offering carry-out on.”

Read the full story at WUSA

San Diego Seafood Industry Flounders Under Coronavirus, But Fishing Community Finding Ways To Stay Afloat

May 18, 2020 — At San Diego’s Dockside Tuna Harbor Market on a recent Saturday, hundreds of people lined up along the pier. They came to this market to get their hands on some fresh fish, caught and butchered by local fishermen.

The restaurant business has changed dramatically in the last couple of months, and that’s made it hard for the San Diego seafood industry to stay afloat. So, fishermen are turning to the market to make up the lost profit.

But seafood businesses are also hurting. They may get some relief from a government stimulus package, but how quickly they can bounce back could depend on the types of fish they supply.

Read the full story at KPBS

Funding Process for Florida Keys Fishermen Slowly Unfolds

May 18, 2020 — Both commercial and for-hire fishermen in the Florida Keys hit hard by the economic shutdown spurred by the novel coronavirus may apply to receive a portion of $23.6 million allocated to the state through the CARES Act Stimulus.

Of the $300 million slugged for federal fisheries’ assistance, Florida is to receive about 12.7%, or the fourth largest share behind Alaska, Washington and Massachusetts.

Read the full story at Seafood News