ACCESS Newswire
25 Mar 2020, 05:13 GMT+10
Unprecedented outpouring of over 180 companies and organizations write to the President and Congressional leadership
WASHINGTON / ACCESSWIRE / March 24, 2020 / Late last week, Saving Seafood staff was asked by Congressional offices for comment and input from the Commercial Fishing Industry as to what is being experienced as a result of the disruption resulting from the COVID-19 crisis, and how Federal emergency economic assistance might be able to assist.
Over the weekend, Pacific Seafood took the initiative to work across industry lines to craft letters, which have now been sent to the President, House and Senate Leadership, and Cabinet Members, outlining bold action that can be taken to preserve the operating liquidity of the seafood production employers who provide and support domestic food infrastructure and the millions of jobs they support. An unprecedented outpouring of over 180 companies and organizations throughout the seafood industry participated in this effort. These letters address possible actions in Congress.
To respond to the Congressional requests, Saving Seafood reached out to our extensive network of commercial fishermen and related businesses on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts, as well as Hawaii, for input on how COVID-19 has affected their businesses, and for recommendations on what they feel would be the best ways for the government to help. These efforts address possible actions at the local, state, and Federal levels, including both Congressional and Administration/Agency actions.
The fishing and seafood sectors are not homogeneous, and different regions and fisheries are experiencing different challenges; therefore, the forms of assistance described are intended to reflect both immediate pressures where prices have fallen, as well as longer term needs associated with securing future fishing vessel crew-members, and processing workforce.
We would like to express gratitude to Senators Ed Markey, Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Elizabeth Warren and their staffs for communicating the needs and concerns of the seafood industry to Senate leadership. It is our hope that Congress will heed their request, and also recognize and take action to address the reality that our commercial fishing and seafood industries are highly diverse between regions. Additional assistance beyond what is outlined in today's letters and this release may be needed to address broader near-term critical needs for some seafood producers. Domestic harvesting, production, processing, transportation, and promotion will all need federal assistance to ensure that we can provide a steady supply of healthy domestic seafood to US consumers during this time of crisis.
NOAA's 'Fisheries of the United States 2017' reported that more than 2/3 (68%) of the $102.2 billion that consumers spent on fishery products in 2017 is spent at food service establishments, with less than one-third sold in retail outlets for home consumption. Thus, the necessary closures in the nation's hospitality and restaurant industry are having an outsized impact on domestic commercial fisheries.
While this effort focused on the effect of the COVID-19 crisis on commercial harvesters and processors, support businesses such as fuel, shipyards, gear manufacturers, etc. are also being impacted by a decline in commercial fishing.
The following is a summary of suggestions made by members of our industry.
Read the letter to the President and the Administration here
Read the letter to Congress here
Press Contact
Robert Vanasse
Saving Seafood's National Coalition for Fishing Communities
(202) 333-2628
[email protected]
SOURCE: National Coalition for Fishing Communities
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