Tag Archives: Coronavirus
In the Coronavirus Economy, Texas’ Commercial Fishermen Are Barely Treading Water
Most of Texas’ commercial fishermen have seen similar struggles. As has been the case across food industries, the pandemic’s economic fallout on Gulf Coast commercial anglers and local wholesalers brought their boats and operations ashore like a summer storm. Their financial livelihoods and the industry’s future, as well as generations of rich commercial fishing tradition, are at stake. Without restaurants, in other words, seafood demand plummets. Commercial angler Buddy Guindon, who co-owns Katie’s Seafood Market with his wife, Katie, says their operation in Galveston felt the pandemic’s impact almost immediately. When local restaurants mostly closed up shop, they were forced to cut their employees’ fishing trips short. >click to read< 10:00
Setting day challenging but ‘better than expected’ say Malpeque fishermen
Despite a two-week delay to P.E.I.’s fishing season because of COVID-19 and added dredging challenges, Malpeque Harbour was still bustling with fishermen on setting day. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans cautioned fishermen in Malpeque Harbour that the yearly dredging effort was still ongoing, as the dredger was unable to create a clear passage through the channel that leads from the harbour to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. “After weeks of stress and sleepless nights, it went much better than expected,” said Justin Pickering, a captain who fishes from the harbour. “The wind let up last night and the dredger was able to get a little bit of a path cut through for us and we were the second boat out,” he said. >click to read< 08:13
New Jersey commercial fishing operations counting on relief funds to stay in business
The Garden State Seafood Association is hoping the $11 million recently allocated to New Jersey’s seafood industry as part of the coronavirus stimulus law will prepare it for reopening. “The money should go to those businesses that have a proven negative impact from the COVID pandemic and should be used to help keep as many fishing businesses in operation as possible,” Scot Mackey, the Garden State Seafood Association (GSSA) Government Affairs director based in Trenton, told The Center Square. “I am concerned that the dollars seemed to flow to states regardless of the impact of the pandemic,” Mackey said. “I don’t think Alaska seafood has experienced the same impact as … the East Coast.” >click to read< 12:37
An Alaska commercial fishing season unlike any other kicked off in Cordova on Thursday
Normally, the Copper River gillnet season, the first salmon fishery to open in the state, is known for high-priced fish and celebrity-level fanfare: One of the first fish to be caught is flown to Seattle via Alaska Airlines jet, and greeted with a red carpet photo opportunity. In this pandemic year, things are different all around: The Alaska Airlines first fish photo op will still happen, but the festivities have been tamped down and six-foot distancing and masks are now required. Instead of a cooking contest pitting Seattle chefs against each other, a salmon bake for workers at Swedish Hospital in Ballard is planned. And this year, Cordova’s first-in-the-state salmon fishery will be a high stakes test,,, >click here< 10:15
UPDATED: It’s setting day for P.E.I.’s lobster fishery after 2-week delay
Lobster fishermen are setting their traps from ports around Prince Edward Island this morning, after a two-week delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The spring fishery on P.E.I.’s North Shore and the eastern Northumberland Strait was delayed partly because some lobster processing plants in the region were not ready,, It will be a season like no other for fishermen: they’ll be asked questions about their health daily, are not allowed to share equipment and must wear gloves at all times. They’re required to thoroughly clean frequently-touched surfaces on board vessels, and to maintain a physical distance of two metres when possible. added photos, >click to read< 07:31
IN PHOTOS: P.E.I. lobster fishers head out on setting day following delay – P.E.I. fishers hit the water early this morning to set their lobster traps. The season finally opened on May 15 following a two-week delay due to the coronavirus (COVID-19 strain) pandemic. >click to view< 13:22
Snow crab price sees a bump to $3.50 after arbitration decision
On the heels of a federal government announcement in the form of a $470 million COVID-19 relief package for fish harvesters across Canada came more good news for crab fishermen in Newfoundland and Labrador. On Thursday evening FFAW-Unifor, the union representing fish harvesters in the province, announced the price setting panel sided with the union after an arbitration hearing on Wednesday over snow crab pricing. The price setting panel has now set the snow crab price to $3.50 per pound — the FFAW-Unifor minimum price — not $2.90 per pound as tabled by the Association of Seafood Producers. >click to read< 20:59
Fish Harvesters Benefit: Feds pledge nearly $470m to fish harvesters – Trudeau urges consumers to ‘buy Canadian’
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday (May 14) the launch of the Fish Harvesters Benefit. The new initiative is aimed at harvesters facing a 25% drop in income in the face of the pandemic, covering up to 75% of losses up to a maximum of $10,000. Additional non-repayable grants for fish harvesters who own their own business are also being made available. The prime minister said changes would be made for Employment Insurance claims in 2021, allowing benefits to be based on income from previous years. >click to read< 16:22
Trudeau urges consumers to ‘buy Canadian’ as government pledges $470M for fisheries – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is urging people to “buy 
Canadian” food to keep fishery workers and farmers in business during the novel coronavirus pandemic. “To everyone who wants to show their support, buy Canadian. Pick up some Canadian cheese to help a local dairy farmer, have a ‘fish fry, or buy Canadian lobster,” he said today during his daily press conference. “Not only will it taste great, it will help the people who keep food on our plates.” >click to read<
Port of Coos Bay: Annual Blessing of the Fleet Memorial Service canceled
The annual Blessing of the Fleet Memorial Service has been canceled this year due to public safety concerns over the novel coronavirus. The Blessing of the Fleet is a service which honors locals in the commercial fishing industry who have died since 1941. According to a release from the Port of Coos Bay, the service has been canceled “due to public gathering restrictions and social distancing recommendations.”,, According to Fiona Bai, with Port of Coos Bay, the decision to cancel the service was difficult for the Fisherman Memorial Committee. “It’s so meaningful to the community, it’s regretful to have to cancel it,” Bai said. While the ceremony will not be held this year, names will still be added to both the plaques in the Charleston Fisherman’s Memorial Garden. >click to read< 15:25
An open letter to the Alaska commercial fishing fleets from Matt Alward, President, United Fishermen of Alaska
Our industry and communities are facing an unprecedented challenge in the COVID-19 pandemic. With the 2020 salmon season nearly here, we must all take extra precautions to ensure the health and safety of our crews, and the communities we work within. Fishing during the COVID-19 pandemic will not be “business as usual,” and we must all commit to a high standard of caution and personal responsibility.,, To help you through that process, we have put together a summary of what is required. This is not a complete list, however, and should not substitute your own reading and understanding of the document. There are three elements of the mandate: planning, documentation/reporting, and compliance. >click to read< 12:54
Coronavirus: Uncertainty faces lobster fishermen as season opens in Cape Breton on Friday
The lobster fishing season will begin in area 26B and 27 on Friday, but the uncertainty of the world market has left many wondering what the season will hold for them. “The world market has collapsed, things are opening a little bit, so we’re seeing a little bit of hope,” said Marlene Brogan of Ballast Ground Fisheries in North Sydney. “Should the second wave of this virus hit, we don’t know where it’s going to leave us, so it’s concerning.” For the past six weeks, Brogan has had numerous conference calls with processors, fish organizations, fish harvesters and buyers from the local area, all hoping to receive further guidance from the federal government. “The federal fisheries minister (Bernadette Jordan) has not offered anything to the fishers,” said Brogan. Video, >click to read< 19:31
Concern as trawler crew get Covid-19
The crew on board a Spanish trawler that landed fish in Castletownbere have tested positive for Covid-19, prompting major concerns for the safety of the community, and supply lines to Europe. Six crew and the skipper have been confirmed as having the virus since returning from landing their catch in the West Cork port on April 21st. It’s also believed that another crew member who had felt sick en route from Spain, has tested positive for the antibodies, showing he had the virus, but has recovered. The skipper of the ship informed Spanish authorities that none of the crew went ashore in Castletownbere. However, head of the Castletownbere-based Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, Patrick Murphy, said the situation raised a major red flag,,, >click to read< 17:34
CARES Act Stimulus: Funding process for Florida Keys fishermen slowly unfolds
Both commercial and for-hire fishermen in the Florida Keys hit hard by the economic shutdown spurred by the novel coronavirus may apply to receive a portion of $23.6 million allocated to the state through the CARES Act Stimulus. Of the $300 million slugged for federal fisheries’ assistance, Florida is to receive about 12.7%, or the fourth largest share behind Alaska, Washington and Massachusetts. While Capt. Bill Kelly, executive director of the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association, says the Keys fisheries have been slighted, he remains optimistic about the upcoming lobster season. NOAA will administer the funds through the interstate marine fisheries arms. For here, that’s the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which will, in turn, contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to identify and establish a plan for fishermen to apply for funds. >click to read< 11:44
Dock to Dish 3.0: Online system gives Montauk fleet direct distribution to consumers on Long Island and the NY Metro Area
Montauk’s fishermen have launched a historic and innovative new initiative to deliver fresh, New York State-certified seafood straight from their boats to local residents’ doorsteps. The effort, called Dock to Dish 3.0, comes just in time, as restaurant closures and stay-at-home orders have hurt traditional distribution channels and put perishable catches in danger. Dock to Dish 3.0 is now operating locally as a pilot program for Montauk area residents, offering no-contact subscriptions via an e-commerce platform, with deliveries eventually expanding in June to reach more than 1,000 customers around Long Island and the NY Metropolitan Area each week. >click to read< 10:38
Long Island fishing industry takes a hit during pandemic – On Tuesday morning, commercial fishing boats sat idle in the water at the Montauk town dock—an uncommon sight, especially this time of year. But lately, it’s become the new normal. >click to read<
Coronavirus: Crew screening, enhanced cleaning part of P.E.I. lobster season launch Friday
The season was delayed two weeks by the COVID-19 pandemic. That delay was partly in the hopes that depressed markets would recover somewhat, and partly to give the industry time to establish new safety protocols to prevent an outbreak within the industry. Those protocols include Daily health questions for captains and crew before they board a fishing vessel. Minimum number of crew on board. No sharing of equipment, such as gloves and clothing,(more),,, The new rules were developed by the P.E.I. Workers Compensation Board in consultation with the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association, and reviewed by the chief public health officer. >click to read< 08:32
‘Level of anxiety really high’: Lobster season to start Friday for some Maritimers – >click to read<
Pilot Project: Dozens of commercial fishermen tested for Coronavirus ahead of Hake season
Commercial fishing is big business in Oregon and on May 15, dozens of trawlers will leave Newport for fishing grounds off the coast. The west coast Hake season is about to start. There’s an effort to make sure crew members on trawlers are Covid-19 free. The Midwater Trawlers Cooperative represents 29 vessels. The cooperative, along with Lincoln County Public Health, the Oregon Health Authority and Samaritan Hospital in Lincoln City put together a pilot program to test crew members. >click to read< 08:01
British Columbia: Steveston-based fisher says industry faces uncertain future amid Coronavirus
Some B.C. fishers may be forced out of the industry if they aren’t able to earn enough income this year, according to Steveston-based fisherman Justin Taylor. As domestic and foreign demand fell dramatically in the wake of COVID-19, processing plants, which fishers directly supply, haven’t been able to sell to the restaurants and hotels that normally make up the bulk of the seafood market. As a result, prices are uncertain, and lower. “This is going to be a survival year for me and my crew, for sure,” he said. “When you’re facing 40 to 50 per cent price reductions, you really don’t know after expenses if there’s going to be much money actually pocketed…There’s a real risk of not making any money.” >click to read< 22:08
Protesting fish harvesters shout ‘We got no union!’
A protest involving 100 fish harvesters was heading Tuesday to Confederation Building after police urged demonstrators to disperse from the St. John’s headquarters of the Fish, Food & Allied Workers union. Tuesday’s protest is the second in the last several days in which harvesters demanded action on several issues, including crab prices, trip limits and safety concerns related to COVID-19.,, While protestors spilled out onto the street to space themselves out, many in the group said they were staying put to drive home their points. Ronnie Bidgood, a Petty Harbour harvester, he and others were standing up for their livelihoods and wouldn’t be leaving. >click to read< 18:12
Maine: Elver price plummets; lobster industry seeks help
Earning a living as a fisherman is tough in the best of times. Right now, times are bad and Maine fishermen have to hope they don’t get any worse.
Last year, according to the Department of Marine Resources, Maine harvesters landed 9,620 pounds of elvers, juvenile eels, and dealers paid $20,119,194 for the catch, an average price of $2,091 per pound for the fishermen. Things are markedly different in this year of the coronavirus pandemic.,, Like elver harvesters, members of Maine’s lobster industry have experienced an extraordinary disruption of their fishery. Most lobsters are consumed in restaurants or other commercial settings,,, >click to read< 16:30
Coronavirus outbreak hits Pacific Seafood processing plant in Warrenton
The scope of the outbreak was not immediately clear on Monday afternoon. A spokesman for Clatsop County described six cases involving workers at Pacific Seafood and one case involving one of the worker’s contacts. In a statement on Saturday, Pacific Seafood said it suspended operations at the Warrenton plant after a worker tested positive for the virus. John King, the general manager of the seafood processor, said the worker was resting at home. King said Pacific Seafood immediately suspended operations and did a professional sanitization of the plant. >click to read< 12:14
FFAW asks for review of crab prices for Newfoundland and Labrador fishers, Panel agrees to hear submission May 13
The FFAW has asked the province’s Standing Fish Price Setting Panel to reconsider the price set for snow crab for the 2020 season. Earlier this month, the panel set the price at $2.90 per pound, after considering submissions from the FFAW and the Association of Seafood Processors (ASP) and assessing market reports. For the past three years crab fishers in this province have been getting exceptional prices for their catches, ranging from $4.50 to over $5 per pound, thanks to high consumer demand. This year, however, the market for crab is in a slump,,, The Coronavirus slump. >click to read< 11:01
North Carolina: Local seafood markets still seeing good business amid Coronavirus
Fresh seafood seems to be in high demand, given grocery stores are running out of stock of other meats such as chicken and ground beef, It’s a win-win situation for the markets and for customers. “It means a lot,” said Jimmy Phillips, the owner of Clyde Phillips Seafood MKT in Swansboro. “People want some good seafood with all the scares of beef and pork being out. So they come in and buy fresh fish an shrimp.” Phillips said that business has increased after the COVID-19 outbreak. Jody Davis, the owner of Davis Seafood in Sneads Ferry agreed that the local seafood industry remains steady. “Things have been pretty good for us,” he said. >click to read< 10:12
Provincetown Portuguese Festival will host Blessing of the Fleet, virtual activities
Organizers of the annual Portuguese Festival have released information about how they plan to celebrate this year amidst the coronavirus outbreak. While many of the in-person celebrations have been cancelled, the 73rd Blessing of The Fleet will still occur, which is held on the last Sunday in June, June 28. However, the event will be downsized and limited so as to not promote big crowds, which is similar to the original Blessing of the Fleet in 1948, according to a press release from event organizers. The time has yet to be determined for the blessing, but it will essentially be the only festival “event” occurring this year. >click to read< 08:34
Top Homeland Security Doctor touring rural Alaska ahead of commercial fishing season openers
The senior medical officer at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is touring Bristol Bay communities and elsewhere in Alaska this week as commercial fishing seasons get ready to open. Dr. Alexander Eastman will also visit Nome and nearby villages, state officials said Monday. Asked if fishing seasons that start with this week’s opener in Cordova prompted the visit, Eastman said a mix of factors “drove my bosses to give me the order to come to Alaska.” Among them, he said, are “the influx of a large amount of folks to the state in combination with her geography and some of the challenges the state faces on a day to day basis” even without the coronavirus when it comes to health-care resources,,, >click to read< 07:52
No Charges Laid in Connection with Weekend Protest at FFAW: RNC
Despite concerns over the large gathering of protesters outside the FFAW offices on Saturday, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary indicates that no charges were laid in connection with the protest. Frustrations boiled over as crab harvesters face what they call an uneconomic future for their fishery, due to low crab prices and trip limits of 1,500 pounds weekly. Hundreds of harvesters gathered outside the FFAW-Unifor offices in the capital city, calling for the fishery to be shut down and for the federal government to step in with assistance. photos, >click to read< 16:38
Inland Commercial Fisheries: Commercial fishing falls due to Coronavirus restrictions on restaurants says Bay Port Fish Company
One of Michigan’s traditional industries is facing a changing tide during the COVID-19 crisis. Commercial fishing operations like the Bay Port Fish Co. are seeing a dramatic decrease in wholesale demand, leading them to have to adjust their strategy this season. Lakon Williams of Bay Port Fish Co. said the fall off is due to restrictions on restaurants under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive orders. Another problem for Bay Port Fishing Co. is that they are set up in a old-school manner. Fish are normally hand filleted at their facility in a close-quarters workspace. 50 photo’s. >click to read< 10:51
Two Hands blockchain marketing alternative to wet markets for SA southern rock lobster fishers
SA Northern Zone Rock Lobster Fishermen’s Association executive officer Kyri Toumazos said SA fishers would welcome the new system. “To some degree we are behind when it comes to product traceability and have a long way to go,” Mr Toumazas said. “Any time the consumer knows their product come from a sustainable fishery then we have a win.” He said the coronavirus pandemic had caused huge disruption for the industry, but demand had picked up and boats were back fishing off Kangaroo Island now that the northern zone season had been extended out to October 31. Perhaps the Two Hands system could help get more product on limited air freight available, he said. Video, >click to read< 08:46
Staying Afloat: Fishermen cast for new customers amid coronavirus pandemic
The 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,,, 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. >click to read< 07:28
Coronavirus: Hundreds of fish harvesters gather to protest – Concerns include low crab prices, trip limits and lack of federal funding
More than 200 fish harvesters stood side by side Saturday afternoon,,, The atmosphere was tense as protestors filled the parking lot of the Fish Food and Allied Workers Union’s headquarters in St. John’s to express their displeasure with the union’s actions on issues like low crab prices, trip limits and lack of federal funding. The crab season is slated to start Monday. “What did you do about it? F–king nothing,” one protestor yelled at FFAW President Keith Sullivan. Petty Harbour harvester Ronnie Bidgood said the union has told harvesters they are trying to get better prices, but he believes it is impossible in the current financial climate. “There is no cruise ships, there is no big restaurants, nothing is opening up, nobody is buying any shellfish,” he said. “FFAW has done nothing for us.” photo’s, video clips, >click to read< 19:11
A call for patience and empathy in a fishery dealing with Coronavirus
This letter is in response to Gabe Gregory’s May 4th letter, “Fish union’s delay tactics appalling.” Contrary to Gregory’s assertions, fish-processing companies are not operating during the COVID-19 crisis under some noble sense of duty to the province or nation and they are certainly not sacrificing for the greater good. Being labelled an essential service was a relief to processing companies. It meant they could operate and bypass social-distancing, crowd-size, and travel restrictions. It meant that the companies could take full advantage of the very lucrative snow crab fishery ($500 million in 2019) and lobster fisheries ($100+ million in 2019) that would be starting while the COVID-19 pandemic would still be highly active in our country. Being an essential service also allowed them to be amongst the first in line for government subsidies. By Keith Sullivan President, FFAW, >click to read< 15:49
Start of salmon season gives hope to fishing industry crushed by Coronavirus pandemic
The Bay Area’s fishing industry has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. But, local fishing companies are hoping salmon season will help change their fortunes. The fishing industry says the closure of restaurants has been devastating. Now, they’re hoping they’ve weathered the brunt of the economic storms. The fishing industry’s fates have always been ruled by nature, but long time fishermen and distributors say there’s no way they could have seen the economic blow the coronavirus pandemic would land on their industry. video, >click to read< 14:02
