Saving Seafood

USDA announces USD 50 million allocation in COVID aid for seafood businesses

February 16, 2022 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced the allocation of USD 50 million (EUR 43.9 million) in grant funds to help the seafood industry in 25 states and territories.

The funding, which Congress appropriated in the COVID-19 emergency relief portion of the Consolidated Appropriations Act passed in December 2020, will be awarded to state agencies to help companies that operate fishing vessels and processing facilities reduce the cost of planning and executing their responses to the pandemic.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

USDA Announces $50 Million in Grants Awarded to States to Support the Seafood Industry

February 15, 2022 — The following was released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced an investment of approximately $50 million in grants to support seafood processors, processing facilities and processing vessels through the Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant Program (SPRS).

This grant funding, to be distributed through state agencies, will help defray costs incurred by seafood processing facilities and processing vessels preparing for, preventing exposure to, and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. SPRS recipients include state agencies, commissions, or departments responsible for agriculture, fisheries, wildlife, seafood, commercial processing, or related commerce activities within Alabama, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, as well as the territory of American Samoa. This program is funded by the Pandemic Assistance provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.

“USDA is working with agricultural and food businesses to ensure that, following the pandemic disruptions, they have the resources and tools to continue building more and better markets, and to thrive in 2022 and beyond,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “This funding for seafood processors and processing vessels will serve as a bridge, providing relief to an industry that was greatly affected by the pandemic as well as the resulting changes in consumer demand. This program is part of our larger pandemic assistance program, providing support to producers, distributors, processors and other small agricultural businesses to get our food system back on track.”

Once USDA has made awards, state agencies will provide funds to seafood processing facilities and processing vessels. Seafood processors and processing vessels should apply directly through their state agency. A listing of state contacts will be made available on the USDA website.

Additionally, states are encouraged to prioritize applications that benefit smaller processors and vessels, socially disadvantaged processors, veteran processors, and/or underserved communities. For grants intending to serve these entities, applicants should engage and involve those beneficiaries when developing projects and applications.

A complete list of the SPRS grant recipients is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service website at: Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety (SPRS) Block Grant Program.

AMS supports U.S. food and agricultural products market opportunities, while increasing consumer access to fresh, healthy foods through applied research, technical services, and Congressionally funded grants. To learn more about AMS’s investments in enhancing and strengthening agricultural systems, visit www.ams.usda.gov/grants.

Read the release from the USDA

 

Scottish salmon exports return to pre-Brexit, pre-COVID levels

February 15, 2022 — Exports of farm-raised Scottish salmon, the United Kingdom’s most valuable food export, recovered to near-record figures in 2021.

According to official HMRC figures, overseas sales of salmon in 2021 increased by 36 percent year-over-year to GBP 614 million (USD 832.7 million, EUR 732.4 million), just GBP 4 million (USD 5.4 million, EUR 4.8 million) short of 2019’s all-time high.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

Major border crossing blocked over Canadian trucker protests

February 8, 2022 — Canadian truck driver protesters have impeded access to the busiest international crossing in North America.

The demonstrations began January 29 as an objection to a vaccine mandate requiring truckers entering Canada to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or face testing and quarantine requirements. Beginning 7 February, the Ambassador Bridge that links Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A., was partially blocked by those participating in the collective action, according to CNN. Canadian-bound traffic was still shut down as of the morning of Tuesday, 8 February, while U.S.-bound traffic was flowing with limited bridge access.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

Complicated labor picture challenging US restaurant sector growth

February 7, 2022 — A new report from the National Restaurant Association is predicting the U.S. foodservice industry will grow 6 percent to reach USD 898 billion (EUR 786 billion) in sales in 2022.

But the NRA’s 2022 State of the Restaurant Industry Report found it faces numerous existential threats, including rising business costs, an extremely shallow labor pool, and supply chain disruptions. More than half of operators believe it will take more than a year for business conditions to return to normal, the study found.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

Public Comment for Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Board and Joint Meeting of the ISFMP Policy Board and MAFMC; Policy Board/MAFMC Meeting to Begin at 2:30 PM

February 7, 2022 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet next week, Tuesday, February 8 and Wednesday, February 9, 2022. Due to concerns about the continued spread of COVID-19, this meeting will be conducted entirely by webinar. A portion of the meeting will be conducted jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s ISFMP Policy Board.

Agenda and Briefing Materials: A detailed agenda is available here. Briefing documents are available on the February 2022 Meeting Page as they become available.

Public Comments: Oral public testimony will be accepted on all major agenda items. Written comments may be submitted using the online comment form.

Webinar: This meeting will be conducted by webinar on the Webex meeting platform. No pre-registration is required.

•Click here to join the webinar (if prompted, enter meeting number: 2339 572 6933; Meeting password: MpbNr3ZTD72)

•Join by phone: For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, dial 1-415-655-0001 and enter access code: 2339 572 6933#). When asked for your attendee ID, enter #. Participants connected by phone only will need to enter *6 on their keypad to unmute/mute themselves and *3 to raise/lower their hands.

•Need Help? If you need technical assistance, please check theWebex Participant Guide. For further assistance, contact Mary Sabo at msabo@mafmc.org.

Live Stream: For those who wish to listen only, we will also be streaming the meeting live on our YouTube channel.

Questions? Contact Mary Sabo, msabo@mafmc.org, (302) 526-5261.

 

Reminder: MAFMC to Meet by Webinar February 8-9, 2022

February 3, 2022 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet next week, Tuesday, February 8 and Wednesday, February 9, 2022. Due to concerns about the continued spread of COVID-19, this meeting will be conducted entirely by webinar. A portion of the meeting will be conducted jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s ISFMP Policy Board.

Agenda and Briefing Materials: A detailed agenda is available here. Briefing documents are available on the February 2022 Meeting Page as they become available.

Public Comments: Oral public testimony will be accepted on all major agenda items. Written comments may be submitted using the online comment form.

Webinar: This meeting will be conducted by webinar on the Webex meeting platform. No pre-registration is required.

•Click here to join the webinar (if prompted, enter meeting number: 2339 572 6933; Meeting password: MpbNr3ZTD72)

•Join by phone: For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, dial 1-415-655-0001 and enter access code: 2339 572 6933#). When asked for your attendee ID, enter #. Participants connected by phone only will need to enter *6 on their keypad to unmute/mute themselves and *3 to raise/lower their hands.

•Need Help? If you need technical assistance, please check the Webex Participant Guide. For further assistance, contact Mary Sabo at msabo@mafmc.org.

Live Stream: For those who wish to listen only, we will also be streaming the meeting live on our YouTube channel.

Questions? Contact Mary Sabo, msabo@mafmc.org, (302) 526-5261.

 

ALASKA: Board of Fish will consider moving Southeast meeting back to Ketchikan

January 26, 2022 — Alaska’s Board of Fisheries is considering moving its Southeast meeting back to Ketchikan, and it’s asking the public to weigh in.

The board — which sets the state’s subsistence, commercial and sport fishing rules — plans to discuss more than 150 proposed changes to Southeast Alaska finfish and shellfish regulations at the meeting, which was originally slated to be held in Ketchikan this month but was postponed due to a rise in COVID-19 cases in the region.

Read the full story at KTOO

 

Restaurant menu shifts punishing seafood sales to foodservice sector

January 26, 2022 — The COVID-19 pandemic has fueled major restaurant menu shifts – some that favor seafood and others that don’t, according to Datassential Director Kelley Fechner.

Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.-based Datassential annually provides updates on menu trends in the restaurant industry at the National Fisheries Institute’s Global Seafood Market Conference (GSMC). At this year’s event in Orlando, Florida, U.S.A., Fechner said 60 percent of restaurants have shrunk their menus since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis in the U.S., by an average of 10.2 percent.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

NEFMC February 1-3, 2022 Webinar Meeting – Listen Live, View Documents

January 24, 2022 — The New England Fishery Management Council will hold a three-day meeting from Tuesday, February 1 through Thursday, February 3, 2022.  The public is invited to listen live and provide input during designated opportunities for public comment.  Due to ongoing public safety considerations related toCOVID-19, this meeting will be conducted entirely by webinar.

START TIME:  10:00 a.m. on Day 1 and 9:00 a.m. on Day 2 and Day 3.  The webinar will end shortly after the Council adjourns each day.

PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITIES:  The Council wants to hear from you.  Here’s how you can let the Council know what you think.

•WRITE A LETTER:  The deadline for submitting written comments for consideration at this meeting is 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 27, 2022.

•TALK TO THE COUNCIL:  You’ll be able to address the Council directly through two different avenues:

1.By commenting on motions at the discretion of the Council chair (raise your hand on the webinar and unmute yourself when called upon); and

2.By speaking during the open period for public comment.  Here are the Guidelines for Providing Public Comment.

•OPEN PERIOD FOR PUBLIC COMMENT:  On Wednesday, February 2, 2022 at 12:00 p.m., the Council will offer the public an opportunity to provide comments on issues relevant to Council business but not listed on this agenda.  Given the Council’s busy meeting schedule, we ask that you limit remarks to 3-5 minutes.

◦ SIGN UP NOW:  Interested in speaking?  Email Janice Plante at jplante@nefmc.org to get on the list.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION:  Online access to the meeting is available at Listen Live.  There is no charge to access the meeting through this webinar.

•Here are instructions in the Remote Participation Guide for successfully joining and participating in the webinar.

•THIS IS KEY!  If you want to speak during opportunities for public comment, you need to: (1) register for the webinar; and (2) actually “join” the webinar.  People who call in by telephone without joining the webinar will be in listen-only mode.  Those who take both steps – register and then join the webinar – will see the meeting screen and be able to click on a “raise hand” button, which will let the meeting organizer know you want to be unmuted to speak.

•We have a Help Desk in case you get stuck joining the webinar or have trouble along the way.  Phone numbers are listed on the Help Desk Poster, or just email helpdesk@nefmc.org and we’ll get right back to you.

CALL-IN OPTION:  To listen by telephone without joining the webinar, dial +1 (631) 992-3221.  The access code is 248-228-740.  Please be aware that if you dial in, your regular phone charges will apply.  Remember, you will not be able to speak if you do not first join the webinar as described above.  This phone number provides a “listen-only” option without the webinar component.

AGENDA:  All meeting materials and the agenda are available on the Council’s website at NEFMC February 1-3, 2022 meeting.  Additional documents will be posted as they become available.

EMERGENCY ACTION:  Please note that the Council will discuss a request for secretarial emergency action related to the Great South Channel Habitat Management Area under the Habitat Committee report.

GROUNDFISH:  The Council will devote Day 3 of this meeting to groundfish issues to allow for extensive discussion of: (1) the final report from the Atlantic Cod Stock Structure Workshops; and (2) important issues related to the 2023 Atlantic Cod Research Track Assessment.  The Council also will make recommendations on recreational measures for Gulf of Maine cod and Gulf of Maine haddock for the 2022 fishing year.

THREE MEETING OUTLOOK:  A copy of the New England Council’s Three Meeting Outlook is available HERE.

COUNCIL MEETING QUESTIONS:  Anyone with questions prior to or during the Council meeting should contact Janice Plante at (607) 592-4817, jplante@nefmc.org.