Saving Seafood

Paycheck Protection Program Deadline Extension

July 1, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK):

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed legislation to extend the Paycheck Protection Program to August 8, 2020. The small business loan program expired yesterday, on June 30. It now needs to pass the House in order for it to be sent to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

Just last week the Department of Treasury and Small Business Administration announced a rule allowing commercial fishing businesses to account for crew member payroll when applying for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, a change that the Alaska Congressional Delegation had been seeking for weeks. While commercial fishing businesses were previously eligible for PPP loans, before June 25th they were not fully able to take advantage of the PPP due to the Department of Treasury’s previous interpretation of eligible payroll costs. Treasury issued a rule on June 25th to address this. While the fix was welcome news, this gave commercial fishing businesses just days to apply for PPP funds before the June 30 deadline.

“We’ve seen the importance of the Paycheck Protection Program to countless small businesses in Alaska. During this unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, it has been helped them weather the storm,” said Senator Murkowski. “With last week’s fix to finally allow commercial fishing businesses to take full advantage of the program, this extension is absolutely necessary to give them the opportunity and time they need to apply. My hope is that the House quickly takes this legislation up so that we can give these small business owners, including our fisherman, the peace of mind they need.”

“The recent rule change enabling commercial fishermen to more fully access the Paycheck Protection Program was a big win for Alaska, but the narrow window of time left to apply—especially in the middle of fishing season for many—threatened to blunt the benefits,” said Senator Sullivan. “I thank my Senate colleagues for extending the PPP application deadline and, if this bill makes it past the House and the President’s desk, I urge all interested Alaska small businesses, including our hard-working fishermen, to apply quickly so they don’t miss out on the remaining PPP relief funds.”

Click here for more information on the Paycheck Protection Program.

US lawmakers calling for more fishery relief funding and changes in allocation

June 4, 2020 — U.S. lawmakers are continuing the call for more funding for the seafood industry, which has been battered by the COVID-19 crisis. However, the window for such funding may be closing.

States with seafood industries received a collective USD 300 million (EUR 264.2 million) in funding through the CARES Act in March, and officials from the Trump administration announced the allocation splits of those funds last month. However, even before those allocations were announced, elected officials from both parties and fishing sector leaders were saying it would not be enough to cover the damage the coronavirus has wreaked on the industry.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Sen. Murkowski pushes for an additional $1 billion in federal fisheries relief funds

June 3, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK):

Alaska’s fishing industry was allocated $50 million in CARES Act funding in early May to ease financial losses tied to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commercial and sport fishing businesses that incur more than 35% in losses will be eligible for aid. NOAA Fisheries and The Pacific Marine Fishery Commission will evaluate each entity’s spending plan. According to NOAA, submissions and approvals will “occur on a rolling basis.”

Additional money could be on the way for the fishing industry. Senator Lisa Murkowski said that she is working to add more fisheries funding in the next round of pandemic relief legislation.

“As we think about the impact to our fisheries, $50 million is not going to be sufficient to address the need,” she said. “I have been working with colleagues to urge us in this next round of relief to include $1 billion in fishery assistance funds.”

Murkowski also wants to change language in the second rollout of funding to help individual fishermen access the Paycheck Protection Program. She says the original PPP did not accommodate fishing wages and crew payroll expenses.

“The PPP really didn’t account for the fact that so many of our businesses in Alaska are seasonal,” she said. “When you think about the fisheries in Bristol Bay that’s certainly a seasonal business. It’s the very definition of it. And so we’ve been successful in changing the definition, but now we’re working with treasury to allow for when those funds need to be paid out.”

The House of Representatives passed the $3 trillion HEROES Act May 12. The bill now moves on to the Senate. Murkowski hopes they can negotiate and address some of the shortcomings from the CARES Act.

“We moved this legislation through very, very quickly. In the matter of a couple weeks, and a couple trillion dollars in spending,” she said. “It is not unusual that we didn’t get the legislation right the first time. It’s been frustrating, I know, for many, but we remain pretty vigilant in trying to address the areas where we did not meet the mark, where we underestimated or we just — we built it wrong.”

Alaska and Washington both received most of the $300 million made available nationwide to the fishing industry. Halibut and salmon fishing are currently underway around the state, and Bristol Bay’s salmon fishery kicks off this month.

Merkley, Murkowski, Reed Lead Bipartisan Push to Support Fishermen and Seafood Processors

May 6, 2020 — The following was released by the office of Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR):

Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, along with Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Jack Reed (D-RI), are leading a bipartisan group of 25 lawmakers in pushing to make sure urgently needed federal assistance is delivered to America’s fishermen and seafood processors, who have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

In their letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the senators request that upcoming coronavirus relief legislation include funding and provisions to support this critical industry.

“Our seafood processors and fishermen have been dealt a significant economic blow as a result of coronavirus and are in desperate need of federal assistance,” the senators wrote. “It has been reported that many of the nation’s fisheries have suffered sales declines as high as 95 percent. In addition, while many other agricultural sectors have seen a significant increase in grocery sales, seafood has been left out of that economic upside, as stores have cut back on offerings.”

“The seafood industry is currently facing an unprecedented collapse in demand because of the novel coronavirus. We urge you to facilitate the government purchase of seafood products that would both ensure stability in this key sector and provide healthy, domestically produced food for Americans,” the senators continued.

Specifically, the senators recommend the allocation of $2 billion to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to purchase and redistribute seafood products to food banks—just as the agency is currently doing for other agricultural products. In addition, the letter requests that $1 billion be allocated to the Department of Commerce and NOAA to support direct payments to fisheries, seafood producers, and processors.

Not only do fisheries help Americans put food on the table for their families, they have long been the lifeblood of local and regional economies across the country. In 2016, the industry supported over one million good-paying jobs and generated more than $144 billion in sales, adding an estimated $61 billion to the nation’s GDP. In addition to the jobs, families, and communities it supports along every part of our country’s coastlines, the seafood industry fuels jobs throughout the country in processing, distribution, and food service industries.

Merkley, Murkowski, and Reed were joined in sending the bipartisan letter by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tom Carper (D-DE), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Angus King (I-ME), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI).

Read the full letter here

ALASKA: Anchorage ‘hunker down’ order likely to be extended as frustration with distancing rises

April 14, 2020 — On the eve of the expiration of the city’s “hunker down” order, Mayor Ethan Berkowitz on Monday laid out a list of criteria for what must happen before Anchorage can go back to normal. That included a slower transmission rate, more testing and more access to personal protective equipment for health workers.

Alaska’s urban hub is not on the verge of meeting all of those criteria. While the “hunker down” order would expire Tuesday if left untouched, it’s almost certain that won’t happen. Berkowitz has repeatedly said he will extend the order, which requires many Anchorage businesses to remain closed, but he has not said until when.

“For the economy, we are not flipping this switch on a set date,” Berkowitz said Monday during a community briefing. “We are going to ease off on what the restrictions are. We are going to be very mindful, because the lessons of history are absolutely clear.”

On Tuesday, the Anchorage Assembly will vote on extending the emergency declaration period, which would allow Berkowitz to extend the “hunker down” order. Berkowitz on Friday asked to have the city’s emergency declaration period extended to Nov. 15, although that does not mean the “hunker down” order will be extended for the same amount of time.

Read the full story at the Anchorage Daily News

Northeast Fishermen Struggle As The Coronavirus Outbreak Halts Demand

March 26, 2020 — The coronavirus outbreak and the uncertainty surrounding it have left Northeast fishermen feeling the pressure. Across the country measures are being taken to “flatten the curve” or slow the spread of the virus. These measures include the closure of restaurants, bars and event venues. Without these markets available, fishermen have fewer opportunities to sell their fish and product is starting to pile up.

Nick Muto, a fisherman out of Saquatucket in Harwich, MA, who catches monkfish and skate is amongst the many who have had to reduce their fishing effort. “We’re feeling the pressure across the board not only the domestic – retail markets from fish markets to restaurants – but also we’re feeling it on a global scale,” Muto said. He added that a significant portion of his catch gets shipped to Europe and Asia, countries that have a more diverse seafood diet. However there is currently very little demand across the board.

Muto still has buyers to sell his fish to, but not all fishermen are in the same boat. In a letter to Senate leadership requesting aid for fishermen, Massachusetts Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey, along with Alaska Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan wrote about a widespread decrease in fishing. “Some fisheries are completely shut down because there is no market for their fish,” the Senators write. “Seafood processors are struggling because closed restaurants are no longer buying fresh products. While boats sit idle in port, unable to fish, fishing captains cannot make vessel loan payments or pay crewmembers.”

Read the full story at Forbes

Stimulus includes $300 million for fisheries and aquaculture

March 26, 2020 — A $300 million earmark in the Senate’s $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill passed late Wednesday, March 25, is slated for fisheries and aquaculture. It’s aimed at supporting independent operators who are not otherwise covered by agricultural disaster assistance programs.

The Senate passed the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (or CARES) Act late Wednesday, March 25. It returns to the House of Representatives for a vote on Thursday, March 26. The bill is designed to stimulate the economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that has led to widespread shutdowns intended to slow the spread of the virus.

The National Coalition for Fishing Communities made a statement thanking the industry for uniting in requesting help from federal legislators and also Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) for their quick action in speaking on behalf of the industry in a letter to Senate leaders.

“The speed with which the domestic seafood industry has come together to speak with one voice is unprecedented,” said Bob Vanasse, executive director of Saving Seafood, which organized the coalition. “There are many differences in our nation’s fisheries — geography, species, gear types and management — but today our fisheries are simultaneously diverse and unified. We look forward to working together across traditional industry lines, and with elected officials and administrators, to ensure the aid the federal government is providing will flow fairly and equitably across regions and fisheries.”

Read the full story at National Fisherman

NCFC Thanks Senate for Support of American Businesses and Employees, and for $300 Million in Specific Fisheries Assistance

WASHINGTON – March 25, 2020 – The compromise COVID-19 stimulus package, negotiated by the U.S. Senate Republican and Democratic leadership with the White House and passed tonight by the Senate in a 96-0 vote, includes a number of provisions that will aid small business, and provides $300 million in assistance specifically for U.S. fisheries. This assistance will help fishermen around the country struggling due to shrinking demand and disappearing markets caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Tribal, subsistence, commercial, and charter fishermen, as well as aquaculture farmers, are all eligible for the disaster assistance.

This assistance is vitally needed. In 2017, more than two-thirds of the $102.2 billion spent on fishery products in the U.S. was spent at food service establishments, with less than one-third sold in retail outlets for home consumption. Thus, domestic commercial fisheries have been hit especially hard by the closures in the nation’s restaurant and hospitality industry.

Yesterday, members of Saving Seafood’s National Coalition for Fishing Communities (NCFC) and fishing harvesters and processors from around the country made their needs known in letters to the White House and Congress. These needs include the designation of essential employee status for fishermen and processor staff, the promotion of American seafood, and direct and indirect financial relief, among many other suggestions.

“The speed with which the domestic seafood industry has come together to speak with one voice is unprecedented,” said Bob Vanasse, Saving Seafood’s Executive Director. “There are many differences in our nation’s fisheries – geography, species, gear types and management – but today our fisheries are simultaneously diverse and unified. We look forward to working together across traditional industry lines, and with elected officials and administrators, to ensure the aid the Federal Government is providing will flow fairly and equitably across regions and fisheries.”

The NCFC is especially grateful to Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and their staffs, who previously wrote to Senate leadership calling for urgent support for the U.S. fishing industry. The NCFC would also like to thank Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Murkowski, Sullivan, and Susan Collins (R-ME) for their work on the language included in the bill.

Additionally, the NCFC commends the work of Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and coastal members of the committee, including Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Collins, Murkowski, Jack Reed (D-RI), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Brian Schatz (D-HI), John Kennedy (R-LA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).

As this legislation moves to the House, NCFC members are encouraged to contact their representatives to support this fisheries assistance and thank their Senators who voted for its passage.

The specific language in the Senate bill passed today is:

ASSISTANCE TO FISHERY PARTICIPANTS
SEC. 12005.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce is authorized to provide assistance to Tribal, subsistence, commercial, and charter fishery participants affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID–19), which may include direct relief payments.
(b) FISHERY PARTICIPANTS.—For the purposes of this section, ‘‘fishery participants’’ include Tribes, persons, fishing communities, aquaculture businesses not otherwise eligible for assistance under part 1416 of title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations for losses related to COVID–19, processors, or other fishery-related businesses, who have incurred, as a direct or indirect result of the coronavirus pandemic—
(1) economic revenue losses greater than 35 percent as compared to the prior 5-year average revenue; or
(2) any negative impacts to subsistence, cultural, or ceremonial fisheries.
(c) ROLLING BASIS.—Funds may be awarded under this section on a rolling basis, and within a fishing season, to ensure rapid delivery of funds during the COVID–19 pandemic.
(d) APPROPRIATIONS.—In addition to funds that are otherwise made available to assist fishery participants under this Act, there are authorized to be appropriated, and there are appropriated, $300,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021, to carry out this section, of which up to 2 percent may be used for administration and oversight activities.
(e) EMERGENCY REQUIREMENT.—The amount provided by this section is designated by the Congress as being for an emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.

Senators: Without aid, fisheries may sink at dock

March 25, 2020 — Massachusetts Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey are urging the U.S. Senate leadership to include the commercial fishing and seafood industries in any economic relief packages passed by Congress or face potential bankruptcy at the docks.

Warren and Markey, working with Alaska Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, wrote in a letter to the Senate leadership that the spreading novel coronavirus has robbed fishermen of their most dependable markets and left all quadrants of the seafood industry struggling to keep businesses afloat.

“Some fisheries are completely shut down because there is no market for their fish,” the senators said in their letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. “Seafood processors are struggling because closed restaurants are no longer buying fresh products.”

“Large export markets in virus-affected countries like China have also been disrupted. Additionally, many fishermen are not eligible for unemployment benefits because they are self-employed,” the senators said.

The letter traces the dire economic chain reaction the spreading virus has foisted on the fishing and seafood industries, from harvesters and processors to retailers and wholesalers.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

US seafood industry hopes for help from USD 2 trillion stimulus package

March 25, 2020 — The United States Congress is nearing finalization of a third COVID-19 stimulus bill totaling up to USD 2 trillion (EUR 1.85 trillion) in across-the-board relief.

The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on the package on the afternoon of Wednesday, 25 March, and the House of Representatives – currently in recess – is expected to reconvene for its own vote “as soon as possible,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) told CNN. President Donald Trump has also expressed his support for the bill on Twitter.

Read the full story at Seafood Source