Saving Seafood

NEW YORK: Long Island butchers, fish markets and more pivot to delivery

April 20, 2020 — Man cannot live on takeout alone and, at some point, even the most stove-averse Long Islanders are going to have to start cooking. The good news is that some big-time restaurant suppliers, in an effort to shore up their flagging business, are now delivering to regular folks. Many local food purveyors are ramping up or initiating takeout services so you don’t have to go to the market, and some enterprising restaurants and caterers are even getting into the grocery game. In general, these companies offer quicker and more dependable delivery than regular supermarkets whose stock must be ordered through Instacart. But they are all overburdened in this new age of takeout so be prepared to be patient.

GENERAL GROCERIES

Baldor Specialty Foods: You’ve been eating Baldor provisions for decades without knowing it: it is one of the Northeast’s largest wholesale importers and distributors of fresh produce and specialty foods, a staple supplier of fine restaurants and markets. Now Baldor is making its vast inventory of specialty food available directly to consumers. All the staples are here, as well as foie gras, fiddlehead ferns and beef cheeks and pretty much anything you have ever eaten. Free delivery to all of Long Island with a $250 minimum. More info: baldorfood.com

The Chef’s Warehouse: One of the tristate region’s leading food service suppliers is now offering you 10-packs of frozen Neapolitan pizzas, 1-pound cans of jumbo lump crab meat, 5-liter tubs of gelato plus meats, produce, dairy and grocery items. Delivery takes up to four business days; trucks come to Long Island on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; free delivery for orders over $250 ($35 fee for smaller orders). More info: chefswarehouse.com

DiCarlo Foods (1630 N. Ocean Ave., Holtsville): You’ve probably seen DiCarlo’s trucks on Long Island’s roads and highways. The Holtsville-based company, founded in 1963, is one of the metropolitan area’s largest food distributors, supplying restaurants, pizzerias, hotels and institutions. But attached to the 5-million cubic-foot warehouse is a “Cash & Carry” open to the public that carries a wide range of fresh, frozen and packaged foods. Home delivery is available as well. More info: 631-758-6000, dicarlofood.com

Read the full story at Newsday

Announcement: Northeast Observer Waiver Extended through May 2

April 20, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Consistent with the agency’s emergency rule on observer waivers during the COVID-19 pandemic and under the authority granted to the Greater Atlantic Regional Administrator at 50 CFR Part 648.11(c), NOAA Fisheries is extending the waiver granted to vessels with Greater Atlantic Region fishing permits to carry human observers or at-sea monitors for an additional two weeks, through May 2, 2020.

NOAA Fisheries will continue to monitor and evaluate this situation. As we have done in other parts of the country, we will use this time to work with the observer service providers to implement adjustments to the logistics of deploying observers, ensuring qualified observers or at-sea monitors are available as soon as safely possible.

Observers and at-sea monitors are an essential component of commercial fishing operations and provide critical information that is necessary to keep fisheries open and to provide sustainable seafood to our nation during this time. We will continue to monitor all local public health notifications, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for updates. We are committed to protecting the public health and ensuring the safety of fishermen, observers, and others, while fulfilling our mission to maintain our nation’s seafood supply and conserving marine life.

Florida congressional delegation fishes for CARES Act assistance for seafood industry

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.

Read the full story at Florida Politics

Alaska prepares for influx of fisheries workers

April 17, 2020 — Alaska’s seafood processing and harvesting sectors are preparing covid-19 emergency plans as some of the state’s fishing hubs attempt to enact their own guidelines before workers begin to arrive for the summer harvest season.

The state requires fishermen and businesses supported by workers arriving in the state to submit a travel plan or protocol for maintaining critical infrastructure to akcovidplans@ak-prepared.com. The plan should outline how they will avoid:

  • the spread of covid-19;
  • endangering the lives of people in the communities in which they operate or those of others who serve as a part of that infrastructure; and
  • endangering the ability of that critical infrastructure to function.
However, Alaska Public Media reported earlier this week that the governor’s office is not making those submitted plans available to the public, including municipal leaders, who are working to ensure the safety of local residents.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Florida Delegation Wants Commerce Department to Quickly Distribute Stimulus Funds for Fishing Industry

April 17, 2020 — The Florida delegation on Capitol Hill is urging the U.S. Commerce Department to quickly move to distribute funds from the $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus enacted at the end of last month to help the fishing business.

As part of the stimulus package, $300 million was included to help fisheries and Florida’s two senators–Republican U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott–and 25 of the state’s 27 members of the U.S. House sent a letter to U.S. Commerce Sec. Wilbur Ross on the matter on Wednesday.

“Florida’s recreational and commercial fishing industries are critically important to Florida’s tourism-based economy, as well as for the state and nation’s food security and have been hit especially hard during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Rubio’s office noted.

The Florida delegation also called on Ross to work U.S. Agriculture Sec. Sonny Perdue “ to expand seafood commodity purchases for nutrition programs, take further action to guide Florida’s fishing communities to new resources such as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and expedite consideration of the State of Florida’s pending Fisheries Disaster Declaration request related to severe red tide events which occurred between 2015 and 2019.”

Read the full story at Florida Daily

Safe conduct of Alaska salmon fisheries is possible during coronavirus crisis, Fish and Game says

April 17, 2020 — State fisheries managers insist it is too early to close commercial salmon fisheries to prevent the spread of COVID-19 despite growing concerns from many in small communities about the coming influx of seasonal workers.

Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang said in an interview that he is certainly aware of the issues that could arise from holding spring and summer salmon fisheries that start next month as everyone also attempts to limit the spread of the disease, but he stressed state officials are drafting plans to provide extra protection to local residents and fisheries workers.

He also noted that salmon is just one sector of the state’s diverse and year-round fishing industry.

“I think people are wondering whether we’re going to have fisheries; I think they forget that we actually have a lot of fisheries in the water right now and we’re geared up to manage those,” Vincent-Lang said.

In addition to numerous federally managed fisheries, commercial boats are currently targeting crab, halibut, rockfish, pollock, Pacific cod and other species in state waters.

Read the full story at the Anchorage Daily News

ALASKA: Bristol Bay leaders cautiously optimistic, but ask state for fishery closure if protocol can’t be met

April 17, 2020 — Friday, Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s communications director provided the following statement responding to the letter from the Bristol Bay Working Group:

“The State of Alaska continues to build testing capacity every day. Currently, testing capacity is not available to meet the requests made by the Bristol Bay work group, however, work is underway with communities, businesses, and all stakeholders in search of a balance that protects Alaskans and gives our critical fishing industry an opportunity to exist during upcoming fishing seasons.”

Leaders of several major organizations in Bristol Bay say they are more confident that a salmon season may be held safely this summer, but have joined in asking Gov. Mike Dunleavy to close the fishery if certain requirements can’t be met.

Wednesday evening, the Bristol Bay Working Group sent a letter to Gov. Mike Dunleavy calling on him to close the Bristol Bay fishery for 2020 if the steps it outlined earlier in the month cannot be met. The group comprises leaders of the Bristol Bay Housing Authority, Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation, Bristol Bay Native Association, Bristol Bay Native Corporation, Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation and United Tribes of Bristol Bay.

The group’s protocols outlined in the letter include testing for people coming into the region, both before traveling to Bristol Bay and after arriving, as well as continued health screenings and other precautions.

“In the intervening two weeks, very little has happened,” said Norm Van Vactor, CEO of the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation. “We’re sensing as community members that this freight train that’s bearing down on us is not slowed down, and to some extent has accelerated.

Read the full story at KTUU

With little business, Delaware fishermen just hoping they can survive

April 17, 2020 — Brian Hoffecker almost didn’t make it through the first year he ventured off on his own as a commercial fisherman.

It was the mid-1990s and he owed a lot of money on the boat he had just bought when a historic winter storm hit his prey – Delmarva’s iconic blue crabs – hard.

“When it was time to go crabbing, I was broke,” he said. “It was brutally cold and it killed most of the crabs. There weren’t any crabs to catch.”

After more than two decades making a living on the water, the impacts of the coronavirus, Hoffecker’s livelihood is threatened once again.

Read the full story at the Delaware News Journal

UK government announces £10m coronavirus fund for English fishing sector

April 17, 2020 — The UK government on Friday announced a £10m ($12.4m) fund to shield England’s fishing and aquaculture sectors from the impacts of coronavirus.

More than 1,000 fishing and aquaculture businesses in England will receive £9m in direct cash grants through a new fisheries support scheme, the government said, noting that the supports were designed to assist the sector with its “immediate needs” during the crisis.

The government also said that a further £1m would be made available to support projects to assist fishermen to sell their catch in their local communities during the pandemic.

The move, it said, would enable them to find new markets and support communities that depend on the fisheries industry.

Read the full story at Yahoo News

Top House Republican Backs Adding Hospital Funding to Small-Business Package

April 17, 2020 — The top House Republican said he would support adding money for hospitals to funding for a popular small-business aid program, pointing the way to a potential breakthrough in stalled talks with Democrats on the current round of stimulus spending.

In an interview, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) said he would pair hospital funding with an additional $250 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, a small-business loan program that exhausted its initial $350 billion allocation money on Thursday.

Both Democrats and Republicans want to add funding to the small-business aid program, but have been sparring for days over the makeup of that aid and what else to include in the response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Democrats want to expand access to the loans as well as include more money for hospitals, food assistance and state and local governments. Republicans, meanwhile, had said they want to keep the bill focused on increasing small-business aid and defer other funding debates until broader legislation is crafted.

Read the full story at The Wall Street Journal