Saving Seafood

ALASKA: Pandemic pushes fishing activists to call for more government support

July 30, 2020 — Before this year’s salmon season, federal disaster funding was mostly unavailable to small-boat fishing businesses. Then, Congress amended the Paycheck Protection Program at the beginning of July so that fishermen could apply. A little later, it extended the program’s application deadline until August 8.

That was a big relief for many fishermen in Alaska.

“My family and I are salmon fishermen,” said Jamie O’Connor, a Bristol Bay set-netter who fishes in Ekuk and serves as the Working Waterfronts director for the Alaska Marine Conservation Council. “It was really difficult for us to quantify our impacts before our season had happened, so we were really happy to see that there had been an extension and some alterations to the program to allow us to participate.”

At the peak of this year’s sockeye run, O’Connor’s processor put the fleet on limits — the company, and many others in Bristol Bay, told fishermen not to fish due to freezer and capacity issues.

“We missed probably half to a third of our season in those three days,” O’Connor said. “It was a hard thing to sit through, especially with all of the effort that went into preparing for this season. To have done more on the front end to make sure we could do this safely and then just sit out the run was crushing.”

Read the full story at KTOO

New COVID-19 relief bill could help US seafood suppliers get paid

July 30, 2020 — Proposals for the next U.S. COVID-19 stimulus package are now being workshopped in the U.S. Senate, with food industry groups calling for changes and holding out hope that seafood suppliers will see reimbursement for unpaid invoices from foodservice buyers.

Legislators are negotiating several provisions of the “Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection and Schools (HEALS) Act,” HEALS Act, and the National Fisheries Institute, the U.S. seafood trade lobby, is optimistic that it will end up benefitting the seafood industry.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

NFI Statement on Rescheduling of the 2021 Global Seafood Market Conference

July 30, 2020 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) has decided to reschedule the 2021 Global Seafood Market Conference (GSMC) from January to May as part of an effort to ensure attendees are able to join this important annual event.

Throughout the ongoing pandemic NFI has produced webinars on everything from COVID-19 market impacts to regulatory changes and value chain alterations. The success of these presentations and the significant attendance illustrate that members of the seafood community are hungry for detailed trend and data analysis, the hallmarks of the annual GSMC. While the digital space is an important platform, hour-long virtual meetings provide a limited experience compared to a full program.

Moving the conference allows NFI to continue to offer this event and provide much needed critical information during a time when there has been so much disruption in the market.

GSMC will be held 23 – 28 May 2021 at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort in Coronado, California and NFI will provide more details in the coming months.

Sen. Cantwell Criticizes “Slow and Inefficient” Implementation of Fishery Disaster Relief Funding, Calls for Streamlining Process

July 30, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA):

Today at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the top Democrat on the committee, highlighted the devastating impacts COVID-19 has had on the seafood sector and called for a streamlining of the fishery disaster process, criticizing the “slow and inefficient and cumbersome implementation” of fishery disaster relief by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service.

The fisheries sector makes up 60 percent of Washington state’s 30 billion dollar maritime economy, which supports over 146,000 jobs. In her opening statement, Cantwell discussed how the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has decimated the seafood industry, resulting in a decrease of $21 million in revenue for West coast fisheries—a 40 percent decline compared to the previous five-year average. In January alone, Washington Dungeness crab fishery saw a 37 percent decline in revenue from the previous year. Overall, U.S. seafood sales have dropped an estimated 95 percent this year.

“Despite this staggering economic data, many fishermen have not been able to access the COVID relief funding from the Paycheck Protection Program, the Main Street Lending Program, or even qualify for unemployment based on the nature of their businesses and tax structures,” Senator Cantwell said. “USDA food purchase programs have not been able to provide the support for most seafood products, and some USDA programs, including the Farmers to Families Box Program, specifically block wild caught seafood from eligibility to the program, another blow to the industry.”

“That is why I fought so hard to secure $300 million dollars for the seafood sector in the form of grants and other assistance in the CARES Act to address the loophole. Unfortunately, the industry has yet to see a single dollar of relief due to a slow and inefficient and cumbersome implementation through NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service.”

At the hearing, Cantwell also highlighted legislation she introduced with Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) that would streamline the fishery disaster process. “While this bill was written before COVID, it is clear even now…that this is an important aspect of what we need to be doing,” Senator Cantwell said.

Senator Cantwell has been a long-time leading advocate for fishing communities and sustainable fisheries management. In March, Cantwell secured $300 million in economic relief for fishermen suffering from the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, including $50 million for Washington fishermen, from the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. In May, Cantwell successfully ensured the release of more than $8.4 million in fishery disaster funds to Washington state communities and Tribes. Cantwell has advocated for reforms to the fisheries disaster process to ensure that small business charter fisherman are included in the Disaster Relief Recovery Act, and throughout her time in the Senate Cantwell has worked with her colleagues to help securefunding for fishing communities impacted by federally-declared disasters.

Video of Senator Cantwell’s opening statement can be found HERE and audio HERE.

Video of Senator Cantwell’s Q&A with witnesses can be found HERE and audio HERE.

Concert at sea will raise money for Maine’s lobster industry

July 29, 2020 — An organization that supports fishermen is holding a socially distanced concert on the sea to raise money for Maine’s lobster industry.

Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage Foundation is holding the concert on the waters of Casco Bay on Aug. 2. The band Turd Pollock is volunteering to play the show from a float on the water.

Boaters are invited to drop anchor on the southeast side of Chebeague Island, organizers said. The event will also be live streamed on Facebook from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Bangor Daily News

Number of COVID-19 cases across global seafood industry surpasses 1,000

July 28, 2020 — There are now over 1,000 workers across the global seafood industry who have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to data released by companies and government agencies that IntraFish has been tracking since coronavirus outbreak began.

The largest outbreaks in the past few weeks have been occurring in Alaska, where Bristol Bay and other salmon fisheries have been facing a challenging season. Most recently, over 40 percent of the 134 employees at Copper River Seafoods’ (CRS) Anchorage processing plant have tested positive for COVID-19.

Almost all of the 56 employees who tested positive between July 17-22 are residents of Anchorage, Alaska, according to the city.

“This is a concerning situation for the people of Anchorage,” said Dr. Bruce Chandler, the Anchorage Health Department’s chief medical officer. “With so many workers now testing positive, it is likely that this outbreak has been in progress for some time and that transmission has already occurred among family, friends and others in the community.”

Read the full story at IntraFish

Maine lobstermen prepare for uncertain summer season, hoping for further federal relief

July 28, 2020 — More than 1,300 lobstermen in Maine – about 1 in 3 – received forgivable loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), with the majority amounting to roughly $10,900.

It may not be enough to sustain fishermen through an already uncertain summer amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Ben Martens, executive director of the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, told the Portland Press Herald.

“A lot of people got very small loans that helped in the short term, at the start of the crisis, but now the crisis is dragging on and lobstering season hasn’t even really started,” Martens said.

New data from the U.S. Small Business Administration shows that altogether, Maine’s lobster industry received roughly $24 million in PPP funding, the most given to any business concern in the state; dine-in restaurants, beauty salons, real estate, and home building received the next highest amounts.

While the bulk of the fishing sector money – nearly $15 million – went to fishermen, some dealers, retailers and processors received loans between $150,000 and $1 million.

Read the full story at The Center Square

2020 China International Fisheries Expo canceled

July 28, 2020 — The China International Fisheries and Seafood Expo, scheduled for 28 to 30 October, 2020, in Qingdao, has been canceled for this year.

Blaming “the global epidemic situation and the impact of force majeure factors in epidemic management and control,” the organizers said the event is being moved to 27 to 29 October, 2021.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Recent U.S. fishing years marked by economic gains, milestones in sustainability

July 28, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA:

Two announcements today from NOAA Fisheries offer a ‘snapshot in time’ of the population status of U.S. federal fisheries in 2019, and the economic performance of commercial fishing, recreational fishing, and related businesses in 2017. Scientists find that the vast majority of U.S. fish stocks continue to be strong, successful and achieving long-term sustainability goals. Data from these reports help governments, communities, fishery managers, and many others assess the state of the U.S. fisheries management system and plan ahead for future years.

“It’s important we acknowledge the achievements in sustainable fisheries made in recent years by fishermen, industries, scientists, managers, and conservationists across our Nation. These updates are a testament to their outstanding work,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “To that end, President Trump has announced the availability of $300 million to support U.S. fishing communities that have been particularly hard-hit by COVID-19. The Department of Commerce stands with U.S. fishermen and coastal industries as we work to increase America’s competitiveness in the seafood industry and protect our seafood supply chain.”

The 2019 Status of U.S. Fisheries Report outlines the status of 461 managed stocks or stock complexes in the U.S. to determine which stocks are subject to overfishing, are overfished, or are rebuilt to sustainable levels.

A stock is on the overfishing list when the harvest rate of that species is too high, and for 2019, scientists find that list reached a record low. Of 321 stocks for which a determination can be made, 299 (93%) are not subject to overfishing. Conversely, a stock is on the overfished list when the population size of a stock is too low. That list rose slightly in 2019; one stock was removed from the overfished list in 2019 (Gulf of Maine yellowtail flounder), but four were added. Stocks added to the list this year include ones that continue to experience poor reproduction despite closed fisheries (Pacific sardine/northern population), stocks that we now have improved scientific understanding of fishing impacts (Atlantic Coast bluefish), and stocks for which there are ongoing efforts to accurately estimate stock size (Gulf of Maine white hake and George’s Bank winter flounder).

Additionally, two once-overfished species have been rebuilt. Those stocks include American plaice, a right-eyed species of flounder native to the Gulf of Maine, and Southern California cowcod, an orangish-colored rockfish now the ninth recovered West Coast groundfish species. This brings the number of rebuilt stocks to 47 since the year 2000. Once stocks are rebuilt, expanded market opportunities often follow, as catch limits are increased.

Also available is key economic data from the 2017 Fisheries Economics of the U.S. Report, which provides an update on the economic performance of U.S. fisheries. The numbers illustrate fishing as a positive economic driver for our nation, with combined commercial and recreational fishing generating $244 billion in annual sales (up 11%), contributing $111 billion to the gross domestic product (up 8%), and supporting 1.74 million jobs (up 3.3%). The full report will be made available later this year.

View the 2019 Status of U.S. Fisheries Report and 2017 Fisheries Economics of the U.S. key economic data.

Connecticut Lawmakers Want More COVID Relief for Shellfish Farmers

July 27, 2020 — Connecticut’s political leaders want shellfish and aquaculture farmers to be included in the next round of COVID-19 economic relief. In a letter to the leaders of the House and Senate, the state’s representatives asked for $500 million in fisheries assistance.

Specifically, the politicians wanted funding to target producers who did not receive sufficient assistance from the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), or from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Section 12005 funds.

Read the full story at Seafood News