Saving Seafood

The Lunacy of Global Seafood Supply Chains

May 21, 2020 — On a recent locked-down day, cars snaked nose-to-tail through downtown. The destination: a seafood “shop,” popped up on a local commercial fishing wharf. For those who made it in time, $15 bought a pound of scallops, or two pounds of haddock, fresh caught, and delivered in vacuum-sealed bags to the car window, exact change please. For the city’s hard-hit fisher folk, here was a rare bit of good news. The pandemic’s shuttering of restaurants has left those who fish, scallop, clam, and lobster for a living without a major market. Boats are docked, crewmembers let go, pain rippling through a web of marine-related businesses.

“A whole big system is falling apart. It’s not just the fishermen but the people who support them,” says Donna Marshall. Marshall heads up Cape Ann Fresh Catch, like a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program, but for local seafood. These days her group is dropping off locally caught haddock, hake, cusk, and lobster to customers’ doorsteps. The work of turning whole fish into neat fillets is being done by laid-off workers from area restaurants, the only paying work they have right now.

Homegrown efforts to keep people in local fish can’t match the collapse of an industry; direct-to-consumer sales are a small fraction of what fishermen sell to restaurants. Still, the seaside solidarity that the crisis has brought to Gloucester matters. “You’re paying your neighbor’s mortgage,” Marshall says. “This person has a family. It’s not some faceless conglomerate.”

Read the full story at The Nation

Fishermen cast for new customers amid coronavirus pandemic

May 11, 2020 — Massachusetts’ commercial fishing industry is finding new ways to stay afloat as the coronavirus pandemic has shuttered restaurants and halted seafood shipments, shaking up the normal course of business and leaving fishermen looking for customers to buy their seafood.

“We had a wholesale business and like the stock market, we were up, up, up and dependable — and then all of a sudden it went away,” said Nick Giacalone, who with his brothers owns the Fisherman’s Wharf Gloucester.

Restaurant closures amid the pandemic and the grounding of hundreds of planes that typically carry local seafood to overseas markets have decimated the demand globally and threatened to send prices crashing. It’s a sobering reality that has led many fishermen and related industries to tap an obvious but previously neglected market: Direct-to-consumer sales.

Up in Gloucester, haddock, pollack, scallops and lobsters arrive by the thousands of pounds at Giacalone’s Fisherman’s Wharf. The company entered retail sales for the first time last month as it looked to move its product and help the fishing boats it works with stay in business.

Read the full story at the Boston Herald

Fishermen, seafood businesses call for $1.5 billion federal covid-19 aid

May 5, 2020 — Independent fishermen and small- to medium-sized seafood business are calling on the Trump administration and Congress to come up with an additional $1.5 billion in covid-19 emergency funding, and new investment to build community-based supply chains to feed Americans.

The $300 million allocated for the industry by the CARES Act will help, but “it will not adequately mitigate the unprecedented losses that have been suffered nor the impacts that we anticipate over the coming months,” according to the letter, co-signed by a coalition of 238 including commercial fishing trade associations, seafood businesses, food and agriculture groups, and environmental and social justice advocates.

Much more is needed in “additional support from the federal government to maintain our livelihoods and supply essential food from the ocean to the American public,” the coalition warned in the letter – and with a video released on YouTube.

The letter makes detailed recommendations in five areas, including emergency aid; payroll protection and debt forgiveness for fishing businesses; resources to build up local supply chains; medical care and protective measures for fishermen and seafood workers; and getting more seafood supplied into the Department of Agriculture’s $19 billion Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

USDA to spend USD 70 million in COVID-19 relief funds on domestic seafood

May 5, 2020 — The U.S Department of Agriculture announced on Monday, 4 May, it had purchased USD 470 million (EUR 433.4 million) worth of agricultural products as part of its COVID-19 response, with nearly 15 percent of that spent on seafood products.

According to a USDA release, the USD 70 million (EUR 64.6 million) in seafood, along with the remaining agricultural goods, will go to the department’s Section 32 program, which purchases surpluses and directs their use in children’s nutrition and disaster relief programs.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Senators Markey and Warren, and Reps. Moulton and Keating Secure Historic USDA Procurement of East Coast Seafood with Coronavirus Recovery Funding

May 5, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.):

Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Congressmen William Keating (MA-09) and Seth Moulton (MA-06) applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) announcement to include Atlantic seafood in additional Section 32 food purchases made available in part by the Coronavirus Assistance, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The USDA Section 32 program has historically overlooked East Coast seafood. However, the Agricultural Marketing Service announced yesterday that it will purchase $20,000,000 in Atlantic Haddock, Pollock, and Redfish. These purchases will help East Coast seafood producers that have been devastated by the ongoing effects of the pandemic. The Massachusetts lawmakers have championed the federal government taking this step, writing to the USDA in April and May to urge the inclusion of domestic and East Coast seafood companies in the deployment of the $9.5 billion awarded by the CARES Act for affected agricultural producers.

“Atlantic seafood and our seafood industry have long been overlooked by USDA purchasing and they are finally get the attention and resources they need through these food purchases,” said Senator Markey. “Our fishermen are suffering during this pandemic and these purchases will help them stay afloat.”
 
“I’m glad the USDA will be providing this much-needed relief to Massachusetts fishermen, who were already struggling before this pandemic hit,” said Senator Warren. “The fishing and seafood industry are a key part of the Commonwealth’s history, economy, and future, and we must support our fishing community during this difficult time.”
 
“I am pleased to see that the USDA has finally recognized the important role that North Atlantic seafood plays in maintaining the nation’s food supply,” said Rep. Keating. “These purchases will not only help to support our fishing industry during these trying times, but will also provide highly nutritious, sustainable food for families in need across the nation.”
 
“Fishermen are hurting. Things were already tough because of the trade war and they got a lot tougher when restaurants closed because of the pandemic,” said Rep Moulton. “Government’s strength is measured by its ability to serve the people it represents. I hope this brings new business and peace of mind to America’s fishermen.”

USDA to buy $70 million of seafood in response to COVID-19 crisis

May 4, 2020 — The following was released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The full list of USDA purchases includes $20 million of Atlantic haddock, pollock, and redfish; $20 million of Alaskan pollock; and $30 million of catfish products.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced details of $470 million in Section 32 food purchases to occur in the third quarter of fiscal year 2020, in addition to purchases previously announced, which will enable USDA to purchase surplus food for distribution to communities nationwide. These Section 32 purchases will provide additional support for producers and Americans in need, in response to changing market conditions caused by the COVID-19 national emergency.

“President Trump has authorized USDA to support our farmers affected by this national emergency and this action to purchase food and deliver to those in need further demonstrates his unwavering support for the American people during these unprecedented times,” said Secretary Perdue. “America’s farmers and ranchers have experienced a dislocated supply chain caused by the Coronavirus. USDA is in the unique position to purchase these foods and deliver them to the hungry Americans who need it most.”

Background:

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will purchase a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy and seafood products. Specific purchase amounts for each commodity are included in the chart below. Purchases are determined by industry requests, market analysis and food bank needs. AMS will begin issuing solicitations in June and intends to begin deliveries in July. Details on how vendors may participate are available on the Selling Food to USDA page on the AMS website. Solicitations will be posted to the AMS Open Purchases Request website once available. Industry requests for future purchases using Section 32 funds, including potential plans for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2020, will be assessed on an ongoing basis.

Read the full release here

Fishermen Say Possible Meat Shortage Unlikely To Benefit Fishing Industry

April 30, 2020 — For decades, the New England fishing industry has been on its heels. But now, there may a shortage of meat soon after several of the nation’s largest processing plants have been slowed due to COVID-19.

So, does a shortage of meat translate to a “windfall” for local fishermen? Roger Berkowitz, the owner of Legal Seafoods, said there are so many different factors that play into it. “If meat plants have been impacted, maybe we should stimulate the fishing industry to get more of this product out of the water,” he said, adding that because of federal regulations restricting catch amounts, the fish are there, but retailer markets are shut down.

“Ninety-five percent of the pollock, also haddock, has not been taken,” he said. “So in terms of regulation, we can utilize this.” haddock.” 

Read the full story at WBZ 4

NOAA Fisheries Allocates Annual Catch Entitlements for Fishing Year 2020

April 27, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is allocating annual catch entitlements (ACE) to sectors for fishing year 2020, based on catch limits set by Framework 57 and 58, which will allow previously approved sectors to operate in fishing year 2020. These allocations will be updated once Framework 59 is finalized. We are also announcing default allocations for Eastern Georges Bank cod and haddock to prevent impacts to industry resulting from delays in finalizing Framework 59, which will also update these allocations. We are also changing the Redfish Exemption Area and gear stowage requirements for vessels fishing under the redfish exemption.

Read the interim final rule as published in the Federal Register.  You may also submit comments through the online portal.  Copies of each sector’s operations plan and contract are available online.

The comment period is open through May 27, 2020.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Sets Northeast Multispecies Measures for the 2020 Fishing Year

April 21, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

We are setting common pool possession and trip limits to ensure that the common pool fishery is able to fully utilize its available quotas. Effective on May 1, these possession and trip limits were developed based on the common pool sub-Annual Catch Limits set by Framework Adjustment 58 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. We also considered preliminary 2020 sector rosters, expected common pool participation, and common pool fishing activity in previous fishing years. During the fishing year, we will monitor common pool catches, and, will adjust common pool management measures as necessary.

Closed Area II Yellowtail Flounder/Haddock Special Access Program

Northeast multispecies vessels may not target yellowtail flounder within the Closed Area II Yellowtail Flounder/Haddock Special Access Program (SAP) in fishing year 2020. Northeast multispecies vessels are not allowed to fish in this SAP using flounder trawl nets, but may fish in this SAP in 2020 to target haddock with a haddock separator trawl, a Ruhle trawl, or hook gear. This SAP is open from August 1, 2020, through January 31, 2021.

Regular B Days-at-Sea Program

The Regular B Days-at-Sea (DAS) program is closed for fishing year 2020.  During this closure, Northeast multispecies vessels may not declare or use Regular B DAS.

More Information

For more details, read the notice and the permit holder bulletin.

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comments on Proposed Rule: Removal of Regulations Implementing the Closed Area I Hook Gear Haddock Special Access Program

April 6, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

We are seeking public comment on an action that would eliminate the regulations implementing the Closed Area I Hook Gear Haddock Special Access Program.

The Special Access Program was implemented to provide groundfish vessels additional opportunity to harvest healthy stocks within year-round groundfish Closed Area I if they complied with certain gear and other restrictions.  The Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat Amendment eliminated Closed Area I on April 9, 2018.  As a result, the Program no longer provides access or allows activity otherwise prohibited by any closed or gear restricted area.  No vessel has participated in the Program since the start of fishing year 2018.

Restrictions and requirements related to the Program, including reporting requirements and possession/trip limits, are now unnecessary and confusing. Removing the Program from the regulations will help avoid confusion and inconsistency with other regulations.

For more details, please read the rule as published in the Federal Register.

The comment period is open through May 6.

Submit your comments through the e-rulemaking portal.