Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSETTS: Executive order calls for reducing aquaculture regs

May 12, 2020 — Around the same time last week that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released $300 million in coronavirus aid to the seafood industry, President Donald Trump issued an executive order “Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth.”

The major reasons given to issue the executive order were familiar objectives of the administration: reduce our dependence on imported seafood by decreasing the regulatory burden on fishermen and the aquaculture, while creating a level playing field with other countries.

“The Fisheries Survival Fund has long supported efforts to revise and streamline unnecessary regulations, an effort that is more important now than ever,” spokesman John Cooke wrote in a statement.

Trump ordered each of the country’s regional fishery management councils to submit a prioritized list of recommended actions to reduce regulatory burdens on fishermen and increase production within six months. But the Trump administration already asked NOAA and the New England Fishery Management Council three years ago to develop a list of unnecessary and duplicative regulations, which has already been submitted, and it may be much harder to find the regulatory fat this time around.

Read the full story at the Cape Cod Times

Massachusetts fishing industry in line for $28 million in federal aid

May 11, 2020 — Massachusetts will receive $28 million in fisheries assistance under CARES Act allocations announced Thursday by the federal government, and efforts are ongoing to deliver more aid to an industry that officials say has been hit hard by impacts of the COVID-19 crisis.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross allocated $300 million in nationwide assistance, saying the Trump administration “stands with the men and women working to provide healthy and safe seafood during this uniquely challenging time.”

The fisheries support 1.7 million jobs and generate $200 billion in annual sales, he said. Only Alaska and Washington, which are each in line for $50 million in aid, received larger allocations than Massachusetts. Maine received the fifth largest allocation, at $20.3 million.

A senior NOAA Fisheries official said the funds will be disbursed “quickly and effectively.”

Spending plans will be developed by NOAA Fisheries working with interstate marine fishery commissions, and the plans must describe the main categories for funding, including direct payments, fishery-related infrastructure, and fishery-related education to address direct and indirect COVID-19 impacts.

Read the full story at WWLP

Maine fishing industry to receive $20.1M in federal aid

May 11, 2020 — Maine’s fishing industry will receive $20.1 million out of $300 million in federal economic relief designated for U.S. fishermen and seafood industries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fishery participants eligible for funding include commercial fishing businesses, charter and for-hire fishing businesses, qualified aquaculture operations, processors and other fishery-related businesses, according to a news release. Tribes are also eligible for funding including for any negative impacts to subsistence, cultural, or ceremonial fisheries.

The shutdown of restaurants and other outlets serving fresh seafood has decimated the the supply chain of fishermen and seafood processors.

In 2019, Maine’s fishing industry generated a value for harvesters and aquaculture operators of more than $673 million, which translates to approximately $2 billion in overall value when accounting for the value added by dealers and processors.

Read the full story at MaineBiz

Funding Available to Assist Hawai‘i’s Fishing Industry Impacted by COVID-19

May 11, 2020 — More than $4.3 million has been made available to Hawai‘i’s fishing and aquaculture industry impacted by COVID-19.

On Thursday, the Secretary of Commerce announced the allocation fo $300 million for fisheries assistance funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). This funding is to states, tribes, and territories with coastal and marine fisheries who have been negatively affected by COVID–19.

The DLNR and its Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) is currently in the process of developing a spending plan, which, if approved by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will allow fishery participants to apply for financial relief from Hawai‘i’s $4.3 million portion.

Read the full story at Big Island Now

Trump orders removal of barriers to aquaculture

May 11, 2020 — The Trump Administration has issued an executive order Thursday to remove “outdated and unnecessarily burdensome” aquaculture regulations to promote the competitiveness of American seafood.

The Executive Order on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth acknowledged aquaculture’s contribution to the U.S. economy and in enhancing the quality of American lives.

It calls for the expansion of sustainable U.S. seafood production through more efficient and predictable aquaculture permitting.

“This demonstrates a clear understanding that safe, authorized aquaculture can have a lasting impact that is not only beneficial to the viability of wild capture stocks but to the economic sustainability of the entire seafood community,” said John Connelly, president of the National Fisheries Institute.

Read the full story at Aquaculture North America

$11M to keep New Jersey fishing industry alive; ‘This is getting very serious’

May 11, 2020 — New Jersey’s hard-hit fishing industry will be allocated $11 million of the $300 million available in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, according to U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr.

Pallone, a Democrat whose Sixth District stretches along the coast of much of Monmouth and Middlesex counties, said the money will be made available to the commercial fishing, charter and for-hire fishing businesses, aquaculture operations, processors and other fishery-related businesses in the state. The money will be in the form of grants that do not have to be repaid.

The CARES Act was approved by Congress on March 27. Pallone said he thought it “outrageous” that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has taken until May to make the funds available. Even still, the funds are not ready to be distributed.

Read the full story at the Asbury Park Press

Commerce Department Sending Stimulus Funds to Help Fisheries Across Florida

May 11, 2020 — Last week, U.S. Commerce Sec. Wilbur Ross announced $23.6 million will be headed to fisheries across Florida.

As part of the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act,” the $2.2 trillion stimulus deal approved by Congress and the White House at the end of March, $300 million is going to fisheries and the seafood industries.

“Commercial fishing, charter/for-hire businesses, qualified aquaculture operations, processors, and parts of the seafood sector in coastal states and territories are among those eligible to apply for funds. Tribes are also eligible for funding including for any negative impacts to subsistence, cultural, or ceremonial fisheries. The Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will work with the three Interstate Marine Fishery Commissions, organizations with a demonstrated track record of success in disbursing funds, to quickly deliver financial assistance into the hands of those who need it,” the Commerce Department noted.

“This relief package will support America’s fishermen and our seafood sector’s recovery,” said Ross. “Thank you President Trump, Secretary Mnuchin, and our congressional leaders of both parties for your work to pass the historic legislation that is bringing much-needed relief to America’s fishermen. This administration stands with the men and women working to provide healthy and safe seafood during this uniquely challenging time, while our U.S. fisheries work to continue to support 1.7 million jobs and to generate $200 billion in annual sales. The nation is grateful to our fishermen for their commitment.”

Read the full story at Florida Daily

US industry, offshore farmers believe Trump’s order will have ‘huge’ impact

May 11, 2020 — An executive order issued May 7 by the administration of US president Donald Trump will have “huge” and far-reaching impacts on the country’s ability to farm its own seafood, particularly offshore, sources told Undercurrent News. The order establishes the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as the federal government’s lead agency for aquaculture permitting, set a two-year deadline for permitting most projects and seeks to develop “aquaculture opportunity zones”, among other provisions.

Its importance should not be  “underestimated”, Margaret Henderson of the group Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS) told Undercurrent.

“We in the seafood business know how much value we bring to the American public, we know how much value we bring to the global economy. But it’s not something you see batted around every day at the Oval Office,” she said.

She added that SATS was founded following a Nov 2017 meeting among representatives of companies such as Cargill, Pacific Seafood Group, Red Lobster, Fortune International, and Taylor Shellfish. The members met with the leadership of NOAA and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross about their hope to bring change to the sector.

“They indicated to us a willingness to move something like this back then. We’d been in constant communication and had several White House meetings since that time and have been working very close with the entire NOAA team who really should credit for the language in this product. They’ve been working on this for a very long time,” Henderson said.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

NOAA Fisheries Announces Proposed 2020-2021 Bluefish Specifications and Recreational Management Measures

May 11, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries announces the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s recommended revised bluefish specifications for 2020 and 2021. These proposed catch limits are reduced to account for the results of the recent operational assessment and prevent overfishing on the now overfished bluefish stock.

The commercial total allowable landings would be reduced by 25 percent, from 3.71 to 2.77 million pounds. The recreational total allowable landings would be reduced by 39 percent, from 15.62 to 9.48 million pounds.

The federal bluefish recreational fishery daily bag limit would remain reduced from 15 to 3 fish per person for private anglers and to 5 fish per person for for-hire (charter/party) vessels as set forth in the interim measures recently announced. All other recreational management measures and commercial management measures would remain unchanged.

Read the proposed rule as published in the Federal Register, and submit your comments through the online portal. The comment period is open through May 26,2020.

Read the full release here

CARES Act Marks $5.5 Million for NC Fisheries

May 8, 2020 — North Carolina’s seafood industry is marked to receive nearly $5.5 million in assistance to help offset losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced Thursday that $300 million in fisheries assistance funding would be provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, to states, tribes and territories for those in coastal and marine fisheries negatively affected by COVID–19.

“This relief package will support America’s fishermen and our seafood sector’s recovery,” Ross said in a statement.

The National Marine Fisheries Service, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, will use the allocations to award interstate marine fisheries commissions, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to disburse the money, which is to address direct or indirect fishery-related losses as well as subsistence, cultural or ceremonial impacts related to COVID-19.

“We are going to rely primarily on our partners at the interstate marine fishery commissions during the award process because they have a demonstrated track record of disbursing funds provided to them quickly and effectively,” said Chris Oliver, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries.

Read the full story at Coastal Review Online