August 5, 2020 — In July, the Global Aquaculture Alliance released a guidance document for aquaculture facilities to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, under its Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) third-party certification program.
The guidance “is intended to act as a resource for seafood processing facilities seeking best practices to keep their employees healthy and limit the exposure to and the spread of COVID-19,” according to the organization.
August 4, 2020 — Last Sunday, a concert fundraiser was held off the coast of Chebeauge Island to help raise money for lobstermen that are suffering due to the pandemic according to newscentermaine.com. Brilliant idea really, a concert held on the water to maintain social distancing. Fishing for lobster is not just a job, it’s a calling for many Maine residents. It’s a way of life for many families in the area. With restaurants closed and restrictions put on imports, the lobstermen and their families are suffering greatly during this pandemic. Some are not even fishing at this time. Others are working hard only to see the prices for lobster fall so low that it cost more to go get the lobster than saying home.
Crystal Canney is with the Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage Foundation and tells newscentermaine.com that fishing for lobster in Maine is ‘iconic’ and a large part of the state’s economy. Fishing is not just a job for these families; it is a way of life. One lobsterman at the concert told newscentermaine.com “Price is down but the industry pulling together to pull through it. It’s what the coast of Maine does.” I must admit, there are so tough, yet supportive people in Maine.
August 4, 2020 — Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: NOAA Fisheries, persisting in an increasingly bad optic and potentially dangerous policy, last week said it will begin redeploying at-sea monitors aboard Northeast groundfish vessels on Aug. 14 despite the continuing national surge of the COVID-19 pandemic. It extends the previous waiver period by two weeks.
“NOAA Fisheries has been working with the regional observer and monitor providers to enact safety protocols that match those that are in effect for vessel operators and crew during this continually evolving situation,” NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Chris Oliver said in a statement announcing the extension.
Oliver said the agency has developed national criteria for vessels to be released from monitor and observer coverage on a trip-by-trip basis. Waivers may be granted if observers or at-sea monitors are not available for the trip or the observer providers “cannot meet the safety protocols imposed by a state on commercial fishing crew or by the vessel or vessel company on the crew.”
And now the lawyers weigh in: “Within our limited authority, our efforts are intended to ensure observers and monitors are following the same safety protocols that fishermen are following,” Oliver stated.
We’re sure that makes everybody feels way safer.
August 4, 2020 — When it comes to business plans during the coronavirus pandemic, the seafood industry has found itself at sea.
“We don’t have a clue,” said Jure Slabic, an oysterman in Galveston, Texas. “We haven’t processed a single oyster since March 23.”
More than most foodstuffs, the seafood industry depends on restaurants that put a premium on freshness. Consequently, the coronavirus shutdowns slammed fishers, leaving boats at the dock, inventory stacked or tossed as debt piles up.
August 4, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
Summer Ecosystem Monitoring, Northern Shrimp, Autumn Bottom-Trawl, and Summer/Fall Plankton surveys cancelled for 2020
Due to the uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the unique challenges those are creating for NOAA Fisheries, we are cancelling four research surveys off the East and Gulf Coast of the United States. The cancelled surveys include:
These are difficult decisions for the agency as we strive to balance our need to maintain core mission responsibilities with the realities and impacts of the current health crisis. Since March, we have been rigorously analyzing various options for conducting surveys this year and are taking a survey-by-survey, risk-based approach. After much deliberation, we determined that we will not be able to move forward with these surveys while effectively minimizing risk and meeting core survey objectives.
The Cancelled Surveys
The Summer Ecosystem Monitoring Survey run out of the NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center captures seasonal changes in the ocean environment, information used for multiple scientific inquiries. Over its 33-year history, some seasons have been missed and the number of annual surveys has varied, and methods have been developed to bridge these data gaps.
The Northern Shrimp Survey is conducted aboard the R/V Gloria Michelle, a 72-foot ship maintained by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. A major use of survey data is setting shrimp fishery quotas. The shrimp fishery is closed through 2021.
The Autumn Bottom Trawl Survey, also run out of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, has been conducted since 1963. It provides crucial resource and ecosystem data, especially for fishery stock assessments. A future bottom longline survey and new work on industry-based sources of data may help mitigate data gaps.
The Summer/Fall Plankton Survey, run out of NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center covers the entire continental shelf in the Gulf of Mexico region from Brownsville, Texas, to Key West, Florida. It is the only fishery independent survey available to measure the spawning capacity of the adult population of Gulf of Mexico King Mackerel and an important supplemental survey for red snapper and several other reef fish.
The Summer Ecosystem Monitoring Survey run out of the NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center captures seasonal changes in the ocean environment, information used for multiple scientific inquiries. Over its 33-year history, some seasons have been missed and the number of annual surveys has varied, and methods have been developed to bridge these data gaps.
The Northern Shrimp Survey is conducted aboard the R/V Gloria Michelle, a 72-foot ship maintained by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. A major use of survey data is setting shrimp fishery quotas. The shrimp fishery is closed through 2021.
The Autumn Bottom Trawl Survey, also run out of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, has been conducted since 1963. It provides crucial resource and ecosystem data, especially for fishery stock assessments. A future bottom longline survey and new work on industry-based sources of data may help mitigate data gaps.
The Summer/Fall Plankton Survey, run out of NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center covers the entire continental shelf in the Gulf of Mexico region from Brownsville, Texas, to Key West, Florida. It is the only fishery independent survey available to measure the spawning capacity of the adult population of Gulf of Mexico King Mackerel and an important supplemental survey for red snapper and several other reef fish.
Next Steps
These cancellations follow similar difficult cancellation decisions of the ship-based work we had planned from April to July. NOAA Fisheries is continuing to assess the status of other surveys in all our regions. We are working through numerous survey scenarios relative to community pandemic safeguards and safe work practices so that we maximize the science available for fisheries management in this challenging year.
August 4, 2020 — People working in Louisiana’s seafood industry and their advocates hope Congress treats fishermen better when it passes the latest COVID-19 aid package.
The pandemic is crushing restaurants and by extension the local seafood industry.
Pete Gerica is a longtime commercial fisherman.
“Your in-town sales, your sales out of state and all that, everything is at a standstill basically,” said Gerica.
Because of rising cases of the deadly virus Louisiana restaurants have mandated capacity limits.
“Everything is at a standstill basically with everybody with 25, 45, 50 percent of their sales and all of the wholesalers and retailers that we deal with directly they’re all having a rough go of it just like we are,” Gerica stated.
Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser works with the seafood industry.
August 4, 2020 — Commercial fishermen and lobstermen in Massachusetts already “crippled” by the coronavirus pandemic say they fear a second wave in the fall would sink the industry.
“If there’s a shutdown then, it could be catastrophic,” said Joey Ciaramitaro, co-owner of Gloucester-based Captain Joe & Sons wholesale lobsters.
The state’s spring lockdown hurt local fishermen on two fronts: seafood-selling restaurants closed, and air travel nearly ground to a halt. Contrary to popular belief, most local fishermen and lobstermen don’t just sell their catch to tourist-flocked seafood restaurants and markets in New England.
August 3, 2020 — For the past few years, second–generation Gloucester fisherman B.G. Brown has been selling much of his catch to a major food retailer, earning higher-than-average prices because of his commitment to sustainable fishing techniques. Then the coronavirus hit.
With shoppers staying home, Brown’s main customer had to lower the prices it paid and eventually cut back on how much fish it could take. Now he has to sell his catch at regular market prices, which have dropped so low that every fishing trip requires a careful calculation, Brown says.
“You have to weigh it out: Is it worth going out for these super-low prices, or do you just tie the boat up?” he muses. “It’s a hard call right now.”
Gloucester has been a fishing town since its founding in the early 1620s, and the industry was the backbone of the local economy well into the 20th century. In recent decades, however, the industry has struggled as it grapples with regulations designed to prevent over-fishing and limit environmental damages. Many fishermen with long family histories in the business have had to turn to new professions, and the city’s fishing fleet has declined significantly since its peak.
August 3, 2020 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is asking catfish suppliers to submit bids to supply 380,000 pounds of catfish by 11 August.
The raw, unbranded catfish fillets will be used for the National School Lunch Program and other Federal Food and Nutrition Assistance Programs.
July 31, 2020 — The Trump administration’s coronavirus task force has recommended that Alaska mandate face masks, “especially [in] workplaces like seafood processing centers,” according to a 26 July federal report obtained by The New York Times.
Although Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has not required that masks be worn statewide, the state has mandated that seafood processing plant workers use face masks since 15 May. Though the average number of cases in Alaska per 100,000 people is lower than the national average – meriting Alaska’s status in the “yellow zone” – the top four COVID-19 outbreaks in the state have been linked to the seafood industry.