Saving Seafood

Feds will send $50 million in coronavirus relief to Washington seafood firms, fishermen, tribes, charter boat operators

May 8, 2020 — Washington state will receive about $50 million in federal-relief dollars to assist both the commercial-seafood and sport-fishing-charter industries stung by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a statement released Thursday by the federal Commerce Department.

The money is carved out of the massive economic stimulus package known as the CARES ACT that was passed by Congress in March and is intended to assist in both direct and indirect fishery-related losses. Those eligible to apply for the funds include fishermen, tribes, processors and aquaculture companies.

Washington state’s seafood industry has many ties to Alaska, which also received $50 million of the $300 million that will be awarded nationally to assist the seafood and charter boat industries, according to the statement.

Read the full story at The Seattle Times

CARES Act Marks $5.5 Million for NC Fisheries

May 8, 2020 — North Carolina’s seafood industry is marked to receive nearly $5.5 million in assistance to help offset losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced Thursday that $300 million in fisheries assistance funding would be provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, to states, tribes and territories for those in coastal and marine fisheries negatively affected by COVID–19.

“This relief package will support America’s fishermen and our seafood sector’s recovery,” Ross said in a statement.

The National Marine Fisheries Service, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, will use the allocations to award interstate marine fisheries commissions, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to disburse the money, which is to address direct or indirect fishery-related losses as well as subsistence, cultural or ceremonial impacts related to COVID-19.

“We are going to rely primarily on our partners at the interstate marine fishery commissions during the award process because they have a demonstrated track record of disbursing funds provided to them quickly and effectively,” said Chris Oliver, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries.

Read the full story at Coastal Review Online

NEW JERSEY: Feeding with Fish Through a Crisis

May 8, 2020 — Fresh and frozen seafood has been leaving Lund’s Fisheries Inc., in Cape May, despite an initial slowdown from COVID-19 restrictions closing many restaurants and other food establishments.

The company received federal funding to help offset expenses during the pandemic and has been able to keep its five facilities operating.

“I can’t say we’ve been necessarily profitable during this time,” said Wayne Reichle, president and owner, “but it was important to us that our employees and their families knew they could depend on us during this time. “The federal funding will help offset costs such as labor, leases and other expenses.”

No employees were laid off as a result of the virus, according to Reichle. There are 150 employees between their facilities in Cape May and Bridgeton. They have two facilities on the West Coast and another was recently added in Bedford, MA.

The virus and restrictions occurred during, what Reichle called, their “transition period,” when the winter fishing season ends and the summer fish and scallop season begins.

Read the full story at the Cape May County Herald

Federal help on the way for Maine fishing industry

May 8, 2020 — There’s more help on the way for Maine’s fishing industry, which is reeling right now, as the pandemic is affecting both the supply and demand.

The federal government announced more than $20 million in direct support for fishermen, lobstermen and others in the seafood supply chain Thursday.

The money was included in the CARES Act, but has been held up while the details were worked out.

Members of Maine’s congressional delegation say the money will be essential to keeping this struggling industry afloat.

Read the full story at WGME

As some in Congress question CARES Act allocations, lawmakers begin effort to secure more aid

May 8, 2020 — On Thursday, 7 May, the Trump administration finally rolled out its plan for allocating the USD 300 million (EUR 276.6 million) in fishery relief aid earmarked in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Reaction on Capitol Hill was nearly unanimous – more money will be needed, according to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

The U.S. Commerce Department awarded a third of the funding to two states, Alaska and Washington. Both states received USD 50 million (EUR 46.1 million) in aid. While Alaska is by far the leading seafood-producing state, producing 5.4 billion pounds of seafood worth USD 1.8 billion (EUR 1.66 billion) in 2019, some questioned the method by which the allocation was determined.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Louisiana seafood industry to receive $14.8 million in aid

May 8, 2020 — One Louisiana congressman says Louisiana has been shortchanged.

Louisiana fishermen and others in the industry will receive $14.8 million in federal aid to address economic losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said Thursday.

U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge, said Louisiana’s share is far too small, adding that only 4.9 percent of the available money was provided to Louisiana despite being one of the top fisheries states in the nation.

“Washington State is receiving $50 million compared to Louisiana’s $14.7 million when we have a 50 percent greater value to our fisheries landings,” Graves said. “Florida receives $23 million, even though Louisiana brings in 50 percent greater value. Oregon receives over $15 million and California $18 million when we have more than double their fisheries by value and triple by poundage. They must be counting aquarium fish. You really can’t compete, unless you are cheating.”

He said he has asked the House Natural Resources Committee to request an investigation into the allocations.

Read the full story at Houma Today

Senators Markey and Warren, and Reps. Moulton and Keating React to $28 Million in Fisheries Disaster Aid for Massachusetts

May 8, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.):

Today, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced its plan for distributing $300 million of fisheries disaster funds appropriated in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. NOAA announced that each fishing state, territory, and tribe would receive a maximum allocation of $50 million and a minimum allocation of $1 million. Massachusetts received $28 million, the third-highest award. In 2018, $647.2 million of seafood was landed in Massachusetts, the second-highest amount of seafood landed in any state. For 19 consecutive years, New Bedford has been the highest grossing port in the country. Massachusetts is second to only California with more than 87,000 jobs in the commercial fishing and processing industry and 10,000 jobs in the recreational fishing industry

“The $28 million in aid for Massachusetts should only be the beginning. With Massachusetts’s position as home to the highest grossing port in the country, additional aid will be needed to address and match the critical role the Commonwealth plays in our fishing economy,” said Senator Markey. “While the amount allocated for Massachusetts is lower than anticipated and requires explanation, it will help out struggling fishermen who are suffering during the pandemic. I will continue to fight for more support for this historic and robust industry in upcoming coronavirus relief packages.”
 
“Massachusetts fishermen were struggling long before the pandemic hit, and this much-needed relief is an important first step toward keeping our fishermen and their families afloat as they confront this crisis and grapple with the economic slowdown it has brought to the fishing community,” said Senator Warren. “This allocation will be helpful to our fishermen during this difficult time, and I’ll keep fighting alongside my delegation partners to support the fishing and seafood industry.”
 
“Like all small businesses, the men and women of the Commonwealth’s fishing industry have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rep. Keating. “This disaster assistance will begin to assist the industry as they recover from the effects of the pandemic, and I will continue to fight in the House as we look to further aid the fishing industry and the thousands of Massachusetts families it supports in the coming months.”  
 
“Fishermen are hurting. Things were already tough because of the trade war and they got a lot tougher when restaurants closed because of the pandemic,” said Rep. Moulton. “Government’s strength is measured by the ability to serve the people it represents. I hope this brings some peace of mind to the state’s fishermen.”
 
The Massachusetts lawmakers, led by Senator Markey, have championed the swift, equitable, and transparent allocation of financial aid to fishery participants and secured a $20 million USDA procurement of Atlantic seafood. On April 29, Senators Markey and Warren led a letter demanding immediate release of federal guidance on how fishery participants can access this $300 million in CARES Act funds, and identifying bureaucratic inefficiencies that were behind the failure to issue this guidance in a timely manner. On April 2, Senators Markey and Warren led a letter urging the Department of Commerce and NOAA to act swiftly, equitably, and transparently in allocating fisheries disaster assistance funding. On March 23, Senators Markey and Warren, and Alaska Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan called on Senate leadership to include support for the fishing industry in coronavirus economic relief packages. Also on March 23, Rep. McGovern led Chairman Richard Neal (MA-01), James P. McGovern (MA-02), and Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08) in calling on House leadership to include fishing disaster assistance in relief packages.

JOE GROGAN & PETER NAVARRO: Trump Lifts the Net off American Fishing

May 8, 2020 — With the global food supply chain under stress, President Trump’s executive order Thursday will help reduce pain in the grocery checkout line—and also strengthen U.S. food production against foreign competition.

The order creates an administrative trade task force to find new markets for American seafood products and identify unfair trade barriers. It also supports industry research, removes unnecessary regulations on commercial fishermen, and streamlines the aquaculture permitting process.

These reforms will allow producers to make better use of the country’s ample resources. The U.S. has one of the world’s largest exclusive economic zones, a vast area of ocean in which we have sovereign rights over natural resources. But more than 85% of seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported. U.S. fish farms produce only $1.5 billion a year, compared with $140 billion in China. Much foreign seafood comes from fish farms in countries that often fail to meet international standards on health, labor and the environment. Many of China’s catfish and tilapia swim in shallow pens with low oxygen levels, polluted by their own waste along with improperly used antibiotics and fungicides. Farmed fish in South America routinely suffer from infectious anemia, algae blooms and sea lice due to poor biosecurity protocols.

The Trump administration wants to protect American consumers from those unhealthy practices, and American aquaculture is the gold standard. Consider the sleek, silvery and delicious Kanpachi—raised in the deep blue waters off Hawaii’s Big Island, inside high-tech submerged pens developed through American innovation. Hawaii’s cutting-edge ocean farms are subject to the highest environmental standards: The fish are raised in pens with healthy oxygen levels and fed sustainable feed. If American aquaculture is allowed to grow to its full potential, it can help revive domestic fish processing, halting the long-running trend of plants moving to China.

President Trump’s executive order creates a task force to enact policies that encourage fair and reciprocal trade for America’s seafood industry, and strengthens enforcement of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The order affirms that the U.S. will continue to hold imported seafood to the same food-safety requirements as domestic products. And it removes many burdensome regulations on commercial fishermen.

Read the full opinion at The Wall Street Journal

President Donald J. Trump Is Working to Secure America’s Seafood Supply Chain and Bring Jobs Home

May 8, 2020 — The following was released by The White House:

SECURING OUR SEAFOOD SUPPLY CHAIN: President Donald J. Trump is taking action to secure our Nation’s food supply chain by supporting American seafood production.

  • Today, President Trump is signing an Executive Order to increase America’s competitiveness in the seafood industry and protect our seafood supply chain.
  • This order will instruct agencies to expand sustainable seafood production in the United States, including:
    • Furthering more efficient and predictable aquaculture permitting processes;
    • Accelerating regulatory reform to maximize commercial fishing; and
    • Upholding common-sense restrictions on seafood imports that do not meet American standards.
  • The President’s order will help solidify our Nation’s food security, protect American jobs in the seafood industry, and create new jobs in the United States.
  • President Trump is also announcing the availability of $300 million to support fishermen and related businesses hurt by the coronavirus.
EXPANDING AMERICA’S SEAFOOD INDUSTRY: President Trump’s action will expand America’s ability to fully utilize our vast ocean resources.
  • It is critical that America take steps to strengthen our seafood supply chain and bring our Nation’s seafood supply chain back home.
  • While America has among the most extensive ocean resources in the world, our Nation ranks 17th in aquaculture production and imports roughly 85% of the seafood consumed domestically.
    • China’s aquaculture industry is producing 100 times more seafood by weight than the United States aquaculture industry.
  • Burdensome over-regulations and red tape on the aquaculture industry are stifling innovation and production.
  • Under current regulations, small aquaculture facilities are forced to navigate an unnecessarily complex permitting process involving multiple Federal agencies.
PROTECTING AMERICA’S FOOD SUPPLY: This action builds on President Trump’s commitment to ensure that Americans have a sound and plentiful food supply chain.
  • President Trump has taken action again and again to support America’s farmers, ranchers, and food suppliers.
  • The President has worked tirelessly to expand markets for American agricultural goods through enacting fair and reciprocal trade deals like the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and implementing tough tariffs.
    • The President has authorized billions in support to help farmers and ranchers affected by retaliatory tariffs.
  • President Trump has fought for our farmers at the World Trade Organization, winning multiple disputes.

NEW YORK: Where is money for Long Island’s fishing industry?

May 8, 2020 — Containing more than $2 trillion in stimulus spending, the CARES Act seemingly had something for everybody reeling from the coronavirus pandemic. That includes the nation’s fishermen, many of whom call Long Island their home. CARES contains $300 million to compensate both those who live off the sales of their catches and those whose boats are chartered by recreational anglers.

Boats that docked in Montauk alone in 2018 nabbed 12 million pounds of fish and cleared $18 million for the catch.

But for six weeks, none of the appropriated $300 million had been divvied up or released, and Rep. Lee Zeldin was badgering Congress and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for details on how it would be divided and paid out.  Then, Thursday afternoon, information began to trickle out. The money is reportedly being allotted based on past-year revenues of each state’s fishing industries, so much of it went to big fishing states. Sen. Susan Collins tweeted that Maine, for instance, got about $20 million.

Read the full story at Newsday