WASHINGTON, DC – The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has taken a huge bite out of the fishing industry, with fisherman seeing a slump in demand from restaurants and a shutdown of export markets, leaving many fishing vessels tied up at the docks during prime fishing months. Meanwhile, harbor costs and equipment rental bills are still piling up and it can cost some boats more in fuel alone than they can make selling their catch during such a depressed market.
U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse are seeking to provide at least $3 billion in additional federal assistance for America’s fishermen and seafood processors, who have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Public Law No. 116-136) appropriated $300 million for fishery disaster assistance. However, the Trump Administration has yet to distribute these funds among impacted fishing states.
“Our independent fishermen and family-run seafood businesses have been hit hard by COVID-19 and the federal government needs to do its part to help ensure they can weather this storm. Fishermen aren’t asking for handouts, they just want to be treated fairly and on a level playing field with other small businesses. We need to provide additional economic stabilization funds to help keep America’s fishing industry afloat through this crisis,” said Senator Reed, who is urging the Trump Administration to swiftly release $300 million allocated for fisheries under the CARES Act.
“Commercial and recreational fisheries in Rhode Island are taking a hit from the coronavirus crisis,” said Senator Whitehouse, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “The small independent businesses that make up our fishing industry are pillars of the Ocean State’s economy and culture. Hardworking fishermen deserve the same kinds of federal support other farmers and small businesses have already received to help them hang on.”
Reed and Whitehouse have also pressed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to include the purchase of seafood products in the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) commodity purchasing program. Additionally, they asked the USDA to make shellfish aquaculture farmers eligible for direct relief USDA payments, just like other farmers on land.
Thanks in part to Reed and Whitehouse’s efforts, the USDA announced this week that it would purchase $70 million in seafood, including $20 million for Atlantic seafood such as Atlantic Haddock, Pollock, and Redfish, as part of its COVID-19 response.
In their most recent bipartisan letter to Senate leadership, which was led by Reed, Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), 25 U.S. Senators requested that upcoming coronavirus relief legislation include more funding and provisions to support America’s fishing 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.
The full text of the letter follows:
Dear Majority Leader McConnell and Minority Leader Schumer:
We write to urge the inclusion of support for the American seafood industry in the next coronavirus relief measure. 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 seafood industry is critical to 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 and distribution.
Due to efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, which has led to a near total shutdown of restaurants and other outlets serving fresh seafood, the supply chain of fishermen and seafood processors has been decimated. Notably, more than 68% of the $102.2 billion that consumers paid for U.S. fishery products in 2017 was spent at food service establishments. 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.
We strongly urge you to include in the next coronavirus relief package at least $2 billion for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to purchase domestically harvested and processed seafood products and distribute them to local, state, and national non-profits providing food to hungry Americans. Given that few seafood producers have historically participated in USDA commodity purchasing programs, we request that $1 billion be set aside to finance the purchase by USDA of seafood products that have not typically been purchased and that have experienced economic impacts as a result of coronavirus.
We also ask that you include an additional $1 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under the terms of section 12005 of the CARES Act (P.L. 116-136) in order to provide direct relief to Tribal, subsistence, commercial, and charter fishery participants impacted by coronavirus. We request that Congress appropriate and permit the Secretary to make funding available as soon as practicable to all fishery participants, including commercial and recreational fishing and seafood businesses that have been impacted by declines in tourism and the closure of restaurants and other food service industries.
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.
Thank you for your attention to this critical request, and for your continued support of America’s seafood industry.
Sincerely,
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