Saving Seafood

NOAA establishes national-level criteria for observer waivers in wake of criticism

July 31, 2020 — NOAA Fisheries announced on 30 July that it has identified national-level observer waiver criteria, and that the redeployment of observers in the Northeast U.S. will begin 14 August.

The national criteria comes in the wake of Seafood Harvesters of America calling on NOAA Fisheries earlier this month to develop more consistent policies regarding observer waiver criteria. A letter sent by Seafood Harvesters of America called NOAA’s policy regarding at-sea coverage “inconsistent and unequal.”

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Families File First Wave of Covid-19 Lawsuits Against Companies Over Worker Deaths

July 31, 2020 — Employers across the country are being sued by the families of workers who contend their loved ones contracted lethal cases of Covid-19 on the job, a new legal front that shows the risks of reopening workplaces.

Walmart Inc., Safeway Inc., Tyson Foods Inc. and some health-care facilities have been sued for gross negligence or wrongful death since the coronavirus pandemic began unfolding in March. Employees’ loved ones contend the companies failed to protect workers from the deadly virus and should compensate their family members as a result. Workers who survived the virus also are suing to have medical bills, future earnings and other damages paid out.

In responding to the lawsuits, employers have said they took steps to combat the virus, including screening workers for signs of illness, requiring they wear masks, sanitizing workspaces and limiting the number of customers inside stores. Some point out that it is impossible to know where or how their workers contracted Covid-19, particularly as it spreads more widely across the country.

The new coronavirus has created a global health and economic crisis, responsible for the death of more than 150,000 people in the U.S. while straining resources and institutions.

Read the full story at The Wall Street Journal

NMFS looks to resume Northeast observer coverage in August

July 31, 2020 — At-sea observer coverage in the Northeast will resume Aug. 14, but NMFS officials say they will continue to waive monitor requirements on a trip-by-trip basis if covid-19 safety protocols cannot be met.

“Providing seafood to the country remains an essential function even in these extraordinary times, and adequately monitoring United States fisheries remains an essential part of that process,” NMFS administrator Chris Oliver said in a statement issued Thursday.

Oliver said waivers can still be allowed for specific trips in both full and partial observer-covered fisheries, under two sets of conditions: when observers or at-sea monitors are not available for deployment, or when companies providing observer services “cannot meet the safety protocols imposed by a state on commercial fishing crew or by the vessel or vessel company on its crew.”

“Within our limited authority, our efforts are intended to ensure observers and monitors are following the same safety protocols that fishermen are following,” said Oliver.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

NOAA Fisheries Identifies National-Level Observer Waiver Criteria; Will Begin Redeployment in Northeast

July 30, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA:

Providing seafood to the country remains an essential function even in these extraordinary times, and adequately monitoring United States fisheries remains an essential part of that process.

To improve transparency in our approach to observer deployment, we have established national-level criteria for vessels to be waived (released) from observer or at-sea monitor coverage. Going forward, observer or monitor coverage may be waived, for both full and partial-coverage fisheries, on a trip-specific basis if one of the following two criteria are met:

(1) Observers or at-sea monitors are not available for deployment; or

(2) The observer providers cannot meet the safety protocols imposed by a state on commercial fishing crew or by the vessel or vessel company on its crew. Within our limited authority, our efforts are intended to ensure observers and monitors are following the same safety protocols that fishermen are following.

We recognize that there are differences for observer and at-sea monitor deployment across fisheries, and have heard the concerns expressed about how observer coverage varies regionally, and even within regions. Given the diversity in our fisheries, from the composition of the fleets to how the fisheries are prosecuted, regional flexibility will continue in the detailed implementation of the two waiver criteria. We believe this adaptable approach will allow us to be transparent with stakeholders as well as responsive to ever-evolving changes on the ground. We also continue to encourage the use of electronic monitoring, as appropriate, as an additional option.

On August 14, we will resume deployment of observers and at-sea monitors in the Northeast partial-coverage fisheries. We are maintaining existing observer and monitor, both at-sea and shoreside, coverage throughout our other regions. Vessels should continue to seek observer and monitor coverage waivers through their regular regional process.

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. The contractual relationships between industry, NOAA Fisheries, and observer providers vary by region and sometimes within a region.

Observers and monitors, at-sea and shoreside, 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, for updates. We are committed to the health and safety of fishermen, observers, and others while fulfilling our mission to maintain our nation’s seafood supply and conserving marine life.

Chris Oliver
NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator

Read the announcement here

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.

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