Saving Seafood

Fishermen Team Up With Food Banks To Help Hungry Families

December 28, 2020 — As the COVID-19 pandemic hit hard in the spring, fishermen watched their markets dry up. Restaurants and cafeterias — normally major fish buyers — closed or cut back orders significantly. Fishermen weren’t sure if they were going to get paid for what they brought to the dock.

Meanwhile as people lost jobs, food banks started to see an unprecedented demand for services. Things were getting desperate, with long lines for food assistance in many states.

Out of these dual crises, a new idea was born. Food assistance programs across the country have started connecting with local fishermen to stock up on local seafood, many for the first time. And the arrangement seems to be helping the fishermen, the economy and those in need of healthy food.

In Massachusetts, the Greater Boston Food Bank, which serves more than 500,000 food-insecure people with its 600-plus network partners, was looking for ideas.

Read the full story at WNYC

Philippines approves USD 10 million COVID-related stimulus for aquaculture sector

December 28, 2020 — The Philippines Department of Agriculture has allocated an additional budget of PHP 500 million (USD 10.4 million, EUR 8.5 million) to assist the country’s aquaculture sector in overcoming difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The stimulus package will support farming of certain fish and aquatic species such as glass eels, sea urchins, and seaweeds, as well as provide funds for construction of multi-species hatcheries in the country, according to a report from The Philippine Star.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Alaska’s seafood processors hit hard by COVID-19 costs

December 28, 2020 — Overcoming serious doubts, Alaska’s salmon processors managed to squeak out a season this summer – but it came at a cost.

According to a McDowell Group report, processors spent as much as USD 50 million (EUR 42.4 million) on COVID-19 protocol compliance, which included moving workers into Alaska early for quarantine, putting them up in hotels for their quarantine period, flying them on chartered planes, food costs, and paying for significant coronavirus testing and personal protective equipment, as well as security to ensure closed campuses. In a few cases, companies had medical professionals embedded onsite in remote locations to ensure care to their employees (and to limit any potential spread of coronavirus that would have crippled the functionality of the facility).

Read the full story at Seafood Source

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

Congress’ covid deal includes $300 million more for fishing industry

December 23, 2020 — A second round of aid for the fishing industry is emerged as part of the $900 billion emergency pandemic relief package approved Monday night by Congress.

“We got another $300 million for fisheries,” said Leigh Habegger, executive director of the Seafood Harvesters of America. The package is similar to the first Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act covid-19 emergency aid unveiled in May, although “the process may look a little bit different than it did in the first round,” she said.

The Paycheck Protection Program is being extended with rule changes to help smaller businesses. One change sought by Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both R-Alaska, will allow the program to cover crew members paid as contractors or 1099 employees, said Habegger.

In addition seafood is also explicitly listed as eligible for purchase by the U.S Department of Agriculture for its domestic food assistance program, allotted $1.5 billion by the emergency legislation. The legislative language specifically notes the money is to purchase “food and agriculural products, including seafood” for distribution through public agencies and non-profit, charitable partners such as food banks.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Sharing Our 2021 Priorities and Annual Guidance

December 22, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, we released the NOAA Fisheries Priorities and Annual Guidance for 2021. This document provides guidance to all NOAA Fisheries employees in executing our mission responsibilities. It also guides the development and execution of the agency’s Annual Operating Plan by establishing a framework for priority milestones. Our primary goal continues to be the long-term sustainability of our fisheries for the benefit of all fishermen, support industries, and the coastal communities that depend on them. Our overall strategic goals have not changed significantly from last year. However, COVID-19 significantly altered the environment related to the management of the nation’s fisheries and the protection and recovery of marine life.

In 2021, our programs, projects, and investments will be designed and conducted in a manner that supports these three strategic goals:

  • Amplify the economic value of commercial and recreational fisheries while ensuring their sustainability
  • Recover and conserve protected species while supporting responsible fishing and resource development
  • Improve organizational excellence and regulatory efficiency

Read the 2021 Priorities and Annual Guidance document

National Fisheries Institute Statement on COVID-19 Recovery and Relief Legislation

December 22, 2020 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

The House and Senate have passed a bipartisan $900 billion economic relief package to aid the nation’s pandemic recovery.

The final legislation allows forgivable loan funds to be used for covered business expenses that include accounts receivable debt.  NFI has consistently urged Congress to address this issue by classifying accounts receivable debt as a forgivable expense under the Paycheck Protection Program. We are pleased that this new package includes a provision that does just that.

The seafood industry, and the 1.7 million Americans jobs along its value chain, has been saddled with approximately $2.2 billion in outstanding debt since the beginning of the pandemic. The vast majority of that debt is held by small businesses that have struggled to survive.

The relief package illustrates that Members of Congress heard NFI’s message about our members’ supply chains and acted on the critical need for access to this funding.  This is a win for the seafood community that will provide badly needed relief to restaurants and the seafood processors and distributors that supply them.  NFI applauds Congress for this achievement.

Seafood groups praise passage of COVID-19 relief package

December 22, 2020 — U.S. seafood organizations are praising Congress’s passage of its Omnibus/COVID-19 relief package. The bill has been approved by the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate and has been sent to President Donald Trump for his signature.

The USD 900 billion (EUR 740 billion) stimulus package includes USD 300 million (EUR 247 million) in additional fisheries assistance and the inclusion of seafood as an eligible use for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food purchases, along with additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Pacific Island Nations Wary of Chinese Fishing Fleets

December 21, 2020 — Long a topic discussed in connection with the South China Sea, illegal Chinese fishing vessels are of increasing concern for Pacific Island nations.

As recently as early this week, the archipelago nation of Palau, east of the Philippines and north of New Guinea, announced that it had intercepted and detained a Chinese fishing vessel and six smaller boats in its territorial waters after it was confirmed the vessel had entered unlawfully and was illegally fishing sea cucumber.

The fishing vessel was apprehended in Helen Reef, Palau’s most southernmost region, by a Guardian-class patrol boat that Australia had delivered to Palau in September.

“They did have sea cucumber on there… it’s estimated about 500 pounds (225 kilograms),” Victor Remengesau, director of Palau’s division of marine law and enforcement, told reporters. “It’s unlawful entry. We may care about COVID and the spread of COVID, but we can’t just let people do whatever they want, and disguise [illegal activity].”

Read the full story at The Diplomat