April 20, 2020 — Despite a Trump administration plan to gradually reopen restaurants in the United States, many foodservice owners and operators don’t believe they will last through the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
In a new survey, nearly 80 percent of independent restaurant owners said that government stimulus assistance provided in the CARES Act will not prevent the nation’s 500,000 independent restaurants from shutting down permanently.
April 17, 2020 — Members of Florida’s Congressional Delegation sent a letter to the U.S. Commerce Department seeking help for the fishing industry.
Sens. Marco Rubio, Rick Scott and 25 Florida members of Congress signed onto the request for aid.
“Florida’s fishing industries have experienced several crises in recent years. Impacts from Hurricanes Irma and Michael, major fish kills caused by harmful algal blooms, significant habitat loss in the Florida Reef Tract due to coral bleaching and disease, and massive seagrass die offs in many of our state’s estuaries have taken their toll,” the letter reads.
“Even for those businesses who have endured these events, the economic crisis we face today as a result of the pandemic may prove fatal without your assistance.”
All members of the state Delegation signed the letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross except Tallahassee Democrat Al Lawson and Dover Republican Ross Spano.
April 14, 2020 — The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the U.S. seafood industry being upended as restaurant closures drive down the prices of seafood, leading a number of food organizations to request relief from the government.
The U.S. government launched a relief package in late March consisting of USD 2 trillion (EUR 1.8 trillion) in aid for businesses in the U.S., including USD 300 million (EUR 273.5 million) earmarked specifically for the seafood industry. That package includes incentives to encourage employers to keep people on their payrolls, direct payments to low- to middle-income families, and aid to seafood companies that have lost revenue due to the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
April 9, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA):
Today, Representatives Jared Huffman (D-CA), Ed Case (D-HI), Joe Cunningham (D-SC), and Garret Graves (R-LA) led 35 of their colleagues in a bipartisan letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce urging immediate distribution of the assistance secured by Congress in the CARES Act to fishery participants, including Tribal, subsistence, commercial, and charter fishery participants. Representative Huffman currently serves as Chair of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife which has jurisdiction over fisheries.
April 6, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Senator Susan Collins (R-ME):
U.S. Senator Susan Collins wrote to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, urging him to quickly release the $300 million for assistance to fishermen and related businesses that was included in the Phase 3 coronavirus emergency package. As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins worked to ensure that this critical relief provision was inserted in the final legislation.
“The seafood and aquaculture industries are experiencing severe financial harm from disruptions to supply, demand, and labor caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who make their livelihoods harvesting, transporting, processing, distributing, and preparing the bounty of our oceans have incredibly complex and inter-reliant business models,” said Senator Collins.
“I am pleased that, as a result of my and other coastal state members’ advocacy, the Assistance to Fishery Participants provision was included in the CARES Act to provide relief that is targeted specifically for these iconic and essential engines of Maine’s economy,” Senator Collins continued. “It is critical that the $300 million in fishery-related assistance reach those who need it expeditiously in order to manage this period of uncertainty and emerge as strong as before.”
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will be responsible for releasing this funding. Senator Collins requested that:
Click HERE to read Senator Collins’ letter to Secretary Ross.
April 6, 2020 — Members of Massachusetts’ congressional delegation are calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to give New England fisheries a needed boost as they battle through the COVID-19 outbreak.
U.S. senators Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren, along with U.S. representatives William Keating and Seth Moulton, on 2 April sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue asking him to use part of the USD 9.5 billion (EUR 8.8 billion) earmarked for agricultural producers – from the USD 2.2 trillion (EUR 2.0 trillion) CARES Act Congress passed in late March – to help seafood processors and other companies.
April 6, 2020 — U.S. Rep. William Keating, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Massachusetts, joined some of his Capitol Hill colleagues today in urging the USDA to include U.S. seafood companies in a $9.5 billion program designed to help farmers affected by the coronavirus.
Keating, Rep. Seth Moulton, and Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren wrote to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and said the federal government should take steps to buy American seafood through the CARES Act agricultural assistance program.
“The pandemic-driven closure of restaurants and other businesses has devastated the New England seafood industry, as about two-thirds of seafood is consumed in restaurants and outside the home. Fishermen and processors that supply restaurants and local food systems need support,” the letter reads.
April 3, 2020 — With an initial $300 million aid package coming, the National Marine Fisheries Service has launched an effort to collect detailed information on how the coronavirus pandemic and resulting economic lockdown is affecting the U.S. seafood industry.
The project includes online outreach, asking fishermen, aquaculture growers and other businesses through the supply chain to submit information by email to the task force at NMFS.COVID-19@noaa.gov
“We recently stood up a team of experts from across the agency to collect and analyze covid-19-related impacts on the U.S. commercial seafood industry, including wild harvest and aquaculture,” according to a statement by the agency Thursday. “We are interested in learning about the virus’ impacts on their employees, their business, the businesses they support, and the broader seafood supply chain.
April 1, 2020 — The following was released by the Garden State Seafood Association:
The recently passed CARES Act provides emergency loans and other forms of relief for American small businesses affected by the ongoing coronavirus crisis. The Act also included over $300 million specifically intended to help the domestic fishing industry, one of the many industries harmed by the ongoing closures necessary to stop the spread of COVID-19.
This federal support is essential for the future of New Jersey’s fishing industry, which is a key part of the state’s coastal economy. According to statistics compiled by the Garden State Seafood Association, New Jersey’s fishing industry landed over $170 million worth of fish in 2018. According to NOAA statistics, 68 percent of what consumers spent on seafood was at food service establishments, like restaurants, rather than in retail sales.
The fishing industry is one of the largest year-round employers and is responsible for thousands of direct and indirect jobs. According to a 2016 paper from NOAA, New Jersey’s seafood industry is the sixth largest in the U.S., and is responsible for 37,127 jobs, $6.2 billion in sales, $1.4 billion in income, and $2.3 billion in value- added impacts.
The industry landed over 190 million pounds of finfish and shellfish in 2018, worth a total of $170,261,000. Four of the top six commercial fishing ports in the Mid-Atlantic are found in New Jersey. The industry is responsible for significant harvests of Atlantic scallops, monkfish, shortfin and longfin squid, Atlantic mackerel, tunas, swordfish, black sea bass, summer flounder, Atlantic surfclams, and ocean quahogs.
The industry is concentrated at five major coastal ports; Belford, Point Pleasant, Barnegat Light, Atlantic City, and Cape May/Wildwood. The table below illustrates the 2018 landings at three of the ports, and their dollar value.
March 31, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ):
Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) issued the following statement today after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 748, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the third major legislation passed by Congress to respond to the coronavirus pandemic:
“Today, more help is on the way. The CARES Act provides essential assistance to the American people, health care workers, hospitals, small businesses and state and local governments that have been seriously impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. This legislation provides much needed financial relief to laid-off or furloughed workers through increased and extended unemployment insurance so they will continue to receive a paycheck in the weeks and months ahead. It also puts money in the pockets of struggling Americans, and provides grants and loans to small businesses to help them better weather the ongoing economic storm.
“As the coronavirus pandemic overwhelms our health care workers and hospitals, the legislation includes $100 billion to our hospitals and $16 billion for personal protective equipment and other resources for our courageous health care workers so they can safely treat patients. Health care professionals are on the front lines, and we must continue to work to ensure they are protected and have the resources they need to safely do their jobs.
“I’m pleased that this package contains $300 million in funds specifically designated to help fishing communities who have incurred significant economic losses as a result of this pandemic. In my district in New Jersey, the recreational and commercial fishing industry is vital to our coastal communities up and down the Jersey Shore.
“Finally, I’m glad to see that Democrats were successful in removing a provision in the initial draft of the Senate bill that would have provided a $3 billion bailout to the oil and gas industry. This provision had no place in this legislation.
“The CARES Act takes a significant step in protecting the health of all Americans and providing peace of mind during this time of economic uncertainty, but there is a lot more work to do. In future legislation, we must ensure affordable treatment for all, expand distance learning programs and access to the internet for low-income Americans, protect consumers from price gouging and prevent critical services from being shut off during this crisis.”
The CARES Act includes key provisions that give:
$260 billion in Dramatically Expanded Unemployment Benefits: The bill includes numerous provisions to improve unemployment benefits including providing an additional $600 per week for the next four months, providing an additional 13 weeks of federally funded benefits, and expanding eligibility to include workers in the gig economy and self-employed workers.
Immediate Direct Cash Payments to Lower and Middle-Income Americans: The bill provides for immediate, direct cash payments to lower-and middle-income Americans of $1,200 for each adult and $500 for each child, beginning to phase out at an annual income of $75,000 for an individual and $150,000 for a household. These payments will provide individuals with the cash they need right now to survive with much of the economy currently shut down.