Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford Awaits CDC Study of Offshore Wind Industry Impact

November 5, 2025 — There is potentially a lot at stake for the City of New Bedford, its rich fishing industry, and offshore wind power development. While some believe fishing and support for offshore wind can coexist in the same port city, others are not so sure.

Kennedy Calls for Federal Review

Bloomberg reported that the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate the potential harms of offshore wind farms, some proposed and some under construction off the coast of Massachusetts and elsewhere in the Northeast.

Read the full article at WBSM

Kennedy orders CDC study of potential offshore wind hazards

November 3, 2025 — Voters are choosing new governors Tuesday in Virginia and New Jersey, states where ambitious plans for offshore wind projects run against the Trump administration’s political and legal war on renewable energy projects.

Days before, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. directed the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate potential health and safety hazards from offshore wind turbines, a new front in the Trump administration’s offensive to squelch wind power development.

The administration and its executive departments like HHS have effectively derailed many of the wind industry’s earlier project approvals granted under the Biden administration. But some ongoing construction projects survive, notably Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project (CVOW), as power demands and costs escalate in the Mid-Atlantic states. Kennedy’s new review could revisit longstanding health and safety claims by offshore wind opponents, including electromagnetic effects of turbine array cables and transmission lines.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

The Real Reasons Crab Fishing Is So Dangerous

November 4, 2021 — If you’ve ever watched “Deadliest Catch,” you know commercial crab fishing is dangerous. It’s right there in the title. But the Alaskan king crab fishery — where crews featured on the show risk their lives to put seafood on our tables — isn’t the deadliest place to go crab fishing in US waters. That unsavory distinction, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, goes to the West Coast Dungeness crab fishery.

The Bering Sea/Aleutian Island crab fleet — of “Deadliest Catch” fame — averaged eight fatalities a year in the late 1990s, adding up to a death rate of 770 people out of 100,000, the CDC notes. But after the Coast Guard began dockside stability and safety checks, fatalities fell to less than one per year.

Compare that with the West Coast Dungeness fishery where eight crew members died between 2010 and 2014, the government health body said. Five perished in vessel disasters while three died in falls overboard. In the Atlantic crab fishery off the West Coast, three fishers lost their lives while fewer than five Gulf of Mexico crabbers died in that time. Another CDC report notes that 33 West Coast Dungeness crab fishermen drowned between 2010 and 2013.

Read the full story at Mashed

US senators ask for reconsideration of mask mandates on commercial fishing vessels

May 28, 2021 — Following federal changes to masking guidelines for fully vaccinated citizens, issued on 13 May, Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire) submitted a letter to the U.S. Coast Guard and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) requesting a revisit and possible revision of federal masking mandates for commercial fishing vessels.

“We encourage the CDC – in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard – to revisit mask-wearing requirements specific to workers in the commercial fishing industry,” the 25 May letter states.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Senators Hassan, Murkowski Call on CDC and Coast Guard to Change Mask Requirements for Commercial Fishing Industry

May 27, 2021 — The following was released by The Office of Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK):

In a letter to the CDC and Coast Guard, the Senators discuss the latest CDC mask guidance and write, “Many fishing vessel operators were therefore understandably dismayed to learn that the most recent CDC guidance does not loosen restrictions for fishing vessels that are staffed by fully vaccinated persons and are not passenger-carrying vessels as defined under 42 CFR 70.1.”

The Senators go on to discuss the concerns that they have heard from fishermen: “It is worth noting that wearing a mask on a fishing vessel may increase safety risks for operators and crew. Fishing vessels frequently use loud motors or machinery that can make it difficult for crew members to hear one another, so they may rely on lip-reading to improve communication and work together safely. Masks are also frequently wet from sea spray, which can make it more difficult to breathe. This is a condition that the CDC has generally recognized is problematic. Despite these facts, fishermen have continued to abide by the order and guidance to address the public health threat posed by COVID-19. We urge the CDC and the Coast Guard to work swiftly together to reconsider their guidance as it applies to commercial fishing vessels in order to promote the safe operation of fishing vessels and safety of the crew.”

Senators Hassan and Murkowski sent the letter after hearing from New Hampshire fishermen at the Yankee Fishermen’s Cooperative and members of the Alaska fishing industry about the dangers of wearing a mask while they work. Senators Hassan and Murkowski raised these concerns directly with CDC Director Rochelle Walensky during a recent hearing, and their letter further pushes for immediate action.

The full letter can be read here and below. 

Dear Director Walensky and Admiral Schultz:

On May 13, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued updated COVID-19 guidance related mask wearing stating that fully vaccinated people can resume many pre-pandemic activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing.1 This guidance is welcomed news, and a clear confirmation that the COVID-19 vaccines authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are safe and effective at preventing COVID-19, especially cases that lead to severe illness and death. We are deeply grateful for the work conducted by CDC, the National Institutes of Health, and the larger scientific and public health communities that enabled us to reach this critical milestone.

Under the new guidance, CDC notes that all travelers will still be required to wear a mask on all planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation, and in transportation hubs such as airports and train and bus stations. We recognize the importance of continued mask-wearing for travelers throughout the country, and strongly urge all Americans to abide by the latest COVID-19 safety recommendations, as well as other federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations related to mask-wearing and social distancing, including those in local businesses and workplaces.

However, we encourage the CDC – in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard (Coast Guard) – to revisit mask-wearing requirements specific to workers in the commercial fishing industry. In response to the CDC guidance published on May 13, 2021, the commercial fishing community has expressed confusion about the implementation of the new guidance on fishing vessels that are operating with all fully vaccinated staff. In response, we sought clarification from the Coast Guard about whether fully vaccinated commercial fishing crew are still required to wear masks. On May 14, 2021, Coast Guard personnel confirmed that the agency would need to wait for changes to the CDC Mask Order and associated CDC guidance for conveyances and transportation hubs before it could revise its Marine Safety Information Bulletin and address requirements for fishing vessels.

The CDC Mask Order issued on January 29, 2021 requires that persons operating or traveling on conveyances must wear masks “for the duration of travel.”3 On February 1, 2021, the Coast Guard issued a Marine Safety Information Bulletin in response to the CDC order.4 The Bulletin notes that the Executive Order applied to all “‘public maritime vessels, including ferries’ to mitigate the risk of spreading COVID-19,” and further requires that “all persons travelling on all commercial vessels to wear a mask.”

Many fishing vessel operators were therefore understandably dismayed to learn that the most recent CDC guidance does not loosen restrictions for fishing vessels that are staffed by fully vaccinated persons and are not passenger-carrying vessels as defined under 42 CFR 70.1. It is worth noting that wearing a mask on a fishing vessel may increase safety risks for operators and crew. Fishing vessels frequently use loud motors or machinery that can make it difficult for crew members to hear one another, so they may rely on lip-reading to improve communication and work together safely. Masks are also frequently wet from sea spray, which can make it more difficult to breathe. This is a condition that the CDC has generally recognized is problematic. Despite these facts, fishermen have continued to abide by the order and guidance to address the public health threat posed by COVID-19.

We urge the CDC and the Coast Guard to work swiftly together to reconsider their guidance as it applies to commercial fishing vessels in order to promote the safe operation of fishing vessels and safety of the crew.

US agencies find “no credible evidence” COVID-19 transmitted by food packaging

February 19, 2021 — In a rare joint statement, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have firmly stated that there is “no credible evidence” that COVID-19 can be transmitted from food or food packaging.

The statement comes over a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, and months after very early studies indicated that COVID-19 might be able to travel on food. China has been one country that has taken the potential threat seriously, with customs slowdowns for heightened inspections of seafood and complete import closures from COVID-19 impacted countries. The country even falsely linked imported salmon to COVID-19 after an outbreak was linked to the Xinfadi market in Beijing, spooking seafood shoppers.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

USDA, FDA, CDC: “No Credible Evidence” Food Packaging Transmits COVID-19

February 18, 2021 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

Today the leadership of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) all emphasized that food or food packing is not a likely source of COIVD-19 transmission. The rare joint statement said there is “no credible evidence” that the illness is transmitted that way.

“Today’s statement is an example of experts adhering to science and translating that high-level understanding into an important public health message,” said Lisa Weddig Vice President for Regulatory and Technical Affairs at the ‎National Fisheries Institute.

In today’s statement the USDA, FDA and CDC highlighted the safety of the U.S. food supply saying, “consumers should be reassured” that their confidence is based on “overwhelming international scientific consensus.”

“From epidemiologists to biologists, authorities are confident in the safety of the seafood supply and, what’s more, health experts cite seafood’s role in supporting a healthy immune system,” said Weddig.

The groups noted that a recent opinion from the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods said, “despite the billions of meals and food packages handled since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, to date there has not been any evidence that food, food packaging or food handling is a source or important transmission route for [the disease.]”.

NFI encourages companies and countries to ensure their actions and policies are based on this scientific fact.

New Jersey seafood workers aim to ensure they’ll be among first round of essential workers getting COVID-19 vaccine

December 28, 2020 — A group of New Jersey fishing businesses and organizations sent a letter to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy this month urging him to keep the seafood industry’s workers as a high-priority group for COVID-19 vaccinations.

Seafood employees, like others in the food processing industry, are considered essential workers. According to guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that group falls in Phase 1b, along with public transit employees, first responders as well as teachers and other school staff.

Those federal guidelines, though, stand just as a recommendation as the states will be making the call on who gets priority. New Jersey’s COVID-19 vaccination plan calls for defining the essential workers group in early 2021.

The state says it plans to follow the CDC recommendations, but it’s expected there will be more intended recipients than available vaccines. With that anticipated shortage, officials believe they’ll need to prioritize within the Phase 1b grouping.

Read the full story at KPVI

Seafood industry urges states to keep workers near front of the COVID vaccination line

December 23, 2020 — As the distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines continues across the United States, discussions are now taking place to determine the groups that should receive the vaccine after nursing home residents and staff and essential health care workers. Food processing businesses, including those in the seafood industry, are urging leaders in their respective states to keep them toward the front of the line.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines, food and agricultural workers fall into Phase 1b of the essential workers category, along with first responders, grocery store workers, public transit workers, and those in education.

Read the full story at Seafood Source