Tag Archives: Coronavirus
Maine elver fisherman dealing with lower eel prices during the coronavirus crisis
Elvers were often worth less than $200 per pound until 2011, when international sources of the eels dried up and the Maine price jumped to nearly $900 per pound. They’ve been worth more than $800 every year since, and hit a high price of more than $2,360 in 2018. Some fishermen call the elvers “wriggling gold,” but this year, the catch is only selling for about $500 per pound. Industry members are blaming concerns about the coronavirus for the plummeting prices. “We’re just going to the river and we’re going straight home,” said Julie Keene, an elver fisherman from the Lubec area. “Price is a lot less than normal. I think we’ve been greatly affected.” >click to read< 10:25
Ireland: Dingle fishermen hold early morning protest to block Spanish trawler landing amid coronavirus fear
The local community mounted a blockade by sitting or lying on the ground at the pier, preventing an agent from driving across the pier in a truck which would have loaded the fish caught on the trawler. The fishermen had announced their intentions to block the arrival, and Gardaí were present when the Spanish-owned trawler arrived at the pier at approximately 4.30am this morning, Monday 20 April. Gardaí attempted to negotiate with the protesters in order to let the truck through, but were unsuccessful, and the trawler departed from Dingle Harbour at 5.30am without having transferred the caught fish to the truck. >click to read< 08:25
Coronavirus: FFAW calling for delay of crab fishery, NL-FHSA released 12 control measures to prevent spread of virus on fishing vessels
The FFAW’s crab committee chairs met Sunday and voted to delay the fishery opening again. President Keith Sullivan said the recommendation will be sent to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, who holds the authority to open or delay the fishery. “We have to be able to ensure that we have a safe fishery for everyone involved,” Still, Sullivan said harvesters aren’t ready to call off the 2020 crab fishing season, which employs thousands and is worth more than $300 million, including export value and spin offs.,, Meanwhile, The Fish Harvesting Safety Association (NL-FHSA) has released 12 control measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on fishing vessels, if fisheries open later this spring. >click to read< 18:14
Coronavirus: Maine fishermen say they missed out on pandemic relief program
Thousands of Maine fishermen and others in the seafood sector could have qualified for pandemic relief through the Paycheck Protection Program, but many were, apparently, unable to access the benefits before the money ran out. Ben Martens, executive director of the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, said many of the industry’s on-the-water workers did not realize they were likely to qualify for the forgivable loans and other assistance that was briefly made available through the Small Business Administration. >click to read< 15:11
Pandemic Fish Tales From the Bay State’s Sinking Seafood Industry
These are hard times on the high seas for the Bay State’s celebrated seafood industry. Many individuals and businesses are headed for the rocks as social distancing, closed eateries, and trade tariffs take a significant toll on the market. John Symonds,“I can only go out once a month until this turns around. Let’s say I’d spend $300 on bait, $200 on help, and $100 on fuel. Would have been cheaper to stay docked—I’m losing money on trips out. My dockage, mortgage, truck upkeep, and other bills stay the same.”,, “It’s like, Holy shit, what is gonna happen?” (Tim) Walsh said. “We expect low volume this time of year, but this is outrageous. This has affected the price of bait, fuel, ground fishing, herring fishing. All these boats have supply, but nowhere to go.” >click to read< 08:44
A life hooked on uncertainty – Delaware fishermen just hoping they can survive impacts of the coronavirus
Brian Hoffecker almost didn’t make it through the first year he ventured off on his own as a commercial fisherman. It was the mid-1990s and he owed a lot of money on the boat he had just bought when a historic winter storm hit his prey – Delmarva’s iconic blue crabs – hard. “When it was time to go crabbing, I was broke,” he said. “It was brutally cold and it killed most of the crabs. There weren’t any crabs to catch.” After more than two decades making a living on the water, the impacts of the coronavirus, Hoffecker’s livelihood is threatened once again.,, Like commercial lobsterman and black sea bass fisherman Wes Townsend says, the only thing certain in the world of fishing is the uncertainty.,, But he’s never seen anything like this before, he said. photos, video,>click to read< 09:21
Coronavirus: Concerns raised about pending Cheticamp snow crab fishery
Setting day for the lucrative fishery is Friday and it runs until June 30. “Residents of Cheticamp are really scared and upset about the coming of the crab fishery,” Cheticamp resident Yolande LeVert said. “I’m not sure what’s happening here, I don’t know why there is not more communication with the residents of Cheticamp. Are there rules on the wharf when the fishermen come in for the ones that unload the boats?” ,, LeVert noted the snow crab fishery will see more than 30 boats arrive from around the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, mainly from New Brunswick and Quebec, for the Zone 12F snow crab fishery. That equates to about 120 fishermen, in addition to dozens of plant workers, many of whom arrive from Mexico. >click to read< 08:35
Coronavirus: North-east fishing chiefs fear Holyrood funding package may not be enough to rescue ‘all’ of industry
More than 1,000 businesses dependent on fishing are now eligible for financial assistance. The scheme will help businesses operating a vessel larger than 12 meters, about 40ft, to land shellfish by providing capped payments of up to £21,370. Those operating more than one boat could be eligible for up to £42,740. Chief executive of Peterhead-based Scottish Seafood Association, Jimmy Buchan, said the processing sector welcomed measures to ensure it would still have catches to sell. He said: “I welcome the new funding and I hope it is enough to save all of the industry, and not just part of it. “Fishermen and processors play a significant role in feeding the nation, now even more so. We play an important part in keeping people healthy.” >click to read< 07:23
Coronavirus: In Photo’s – The Essential Work of Farmers (and Fishermen)
Despite the many coronavirus lockdowns around the world, people still need to eat, and agricultural work continues, but with many new challenges. Some crops that were ready to harvest are being plowed under or allowed to rot in the fields, because seasonal workers are restricted from traveling, and many buyers have temporarily closed. Unwanted flowers are being used as feed for livestock, and some fishermen are donating their catch to needy families. The farm workers who do have jobs worry about possible exposure to the virus, and have little protection, but many are glad to have a paycheck right now. In some places, the demand for organic produce has gone up, and farmers are working to get their crops to smaller markets as well as larger warehouses. 30+ photo’s, >click for more< 14:14
Frustration with DFO growing over P.E.I. lobster fishery – ‘They’re really putting an unfair burden on the industry’
P.E.I. Premier Dennis King says lobster fishermen are being asked to make an impossible choice and Ottawa needs to step up and support them. The lobster fishery off P.E.I.’s North Shore is scheduled to begin at the beginning of May, and the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans has said it will take the guidance of the industry in deciding whether to start the season on time, delay it or cancel it altogether in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. But King said the choice is not a fair one, with loss of income on one side and uncertain health risks on the other. >click to read< 12:57
As Alaska fishing season set to begin, fearful communities and seafood industry try to prevent spread of coronavirus
Trident and other seafood-company officials hope to ensure that factory trawlers making their way through remote swaths of the Bering Sea do not replay any of the harrowing scenarios that unfolded on cruise ships this year, when waves of the virus sickened passengers. “The chance of having one hiccup — it’s going to ruin the season for everyone,” Hall said. “The boat has to be virus free.” Processors face another daunting challenge in launching salmon operations in remote Alaska communities, many of which suffered losses in the flu pandemic of more than a century ago and are fearful of thousands of seasonal workers spreading COVID-19. photos, >click to read< 11:43
First a hurricane, then an algae bloom. Now Keys fishermen try to weather the coronavirus pandemic
This day’s haul was a good catch — hundreds of claws ranging in size from large to “colossal.” But this was among the last trips the crew of the Risky Business II will make this season to harvest the Florida delicacy. With restaurants mostly closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Piton and most other Keys commercial anglers are calling it an early season, which is scheduled to end May 10. Piton, 54, has been in the lobster and crab business for nearly 40 years and is among the most successful operators in the Keys. He said he’ll be able to weather the pandemic, but he feels for the many other commercial anglers who won’t. video, >click to read< 10:37
Fishermen get a £10m lifeline to stay afloat: Government will hand 1,000 businesses cash grants amid coronavirus crisis
Ministers have announced a £10 million bailout for England’s fishing industry to keep firms afloat during the coronavirus crisis. The industry has been hammered by the current outbreak with demand from restaurants having collapsed because they have been forced to close during lockdown. Meanwhile, the international fish market has also taken a massive hit with UK trawlers struggling to export what they catch. The government’s bailout will see direct cash grants awarded to more than 1,000 fishing and aquaculture businesses with a total of £9 million available. >click to read< 08:56
Coronavirus: Oregon fishing industry weathering the storm
For the people who fish, the distributors, and the restaurants, Gov. Brown’s stay-home order has been costly. “The hardest part about all of this is the uncertainty,” said commercial fisherman Mike Retherford. Normally, you’d find Retherford out on his boat the Winona J. But these days he’s spending a lot more time at his home in Newport sheltering in place. “If this goes on for too long you could see business down 40-50%,” he said. But what was looking really grim a couple weeks ago when crab prices dropped from about $7 a pound down to about $2 is now looking a bit better. The price of crab has rebounded as distributors find new ways to market. >click to read< 07:52
Coronavirus: Seafood Industry Comes to ‘Screeching Halt,’ But Some Businesses Adapting
Harrison Ibach, a commercial fisherman based out of Eureka in Humboldt County, says that when the coronavirus hit the U.S., his business dried up practically overnight. “Oh, man, the seafood industry has pretty much come to a screeching halt,” Ibach said. Since 2008, he’s fished for black cod, rockfish, salmon and crab out of the Woodley Island Marina. Most of his catch goes to high-end fish restaurants in San Francisco. But now, Ibach says, those restaurants aren’t buying. “We now know that the vast majority of Americans really enjoy seafood,” Ibach said, “But we’ve also learned that they really enjoy eating seafood at restaurants.”,, Ibach, who has a wife and two young children, says he has gotten creative in response. He recently started to sell fish directly off his boat, >click to read< 20:19
In New Jersey! Support The Local Fishing Industry With Seafood Made Simple
Like everyone else, our local fishermen have been hit hard by the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. Support your local fishermen by purchasing fresh seafood from these participating markets & restaurants. Then, use their own recipes at the bottom of this page to prepare yourself a delicious meal. This is how we preserve generations of livelihoods – keep guys fishing to teach their kids who teach their kids. Locations through out the state. Information, and lots of links! Gus Lovgrens “Sea Bass over Pasta”, and the other recipes sound great! Atlantic Offshore Fishery, Point Pleasant, Point Lobster Co, Point Pleasant, Viking Village, Barnegat Light, Belford Seafood Co-Op, Belford, Fisherman’s Dock Co-Op,Point Pleasant. >click to read< 18:19
Tignish lobsterman Dryden Buote – Let us go fishing
There can be no doubt that a spring lobster fishery must take place this year in P.E.I. and will be viable, for those who are able to fish and have a place to sell their catches. The government has already announced what will be available to fishers who suffer a loss of income should they not be able to fish and sell their catches this season. (1) They may apply for a loan through Farm Credit Canada to supplement any loss of income and to pay for miscellaneous expenses they may have already incurred before their traps are even in the water. In addition this loan could be used to pay wages to those who work on boats as fisher’s helpers. I stress that this is a loan, money which will need to be paid back in the future. Do fishers need another payment in future years? I am admittedly no economist, but taking on more unnecessary debt does not seem to be a good business decision. (2) ,, >click to read< 15:55
ADF&G: Safe conduct of Alaska salmon fisheries is possible during coronavirus crisis
Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang said in an interview that he is certainly aware of the issues that could arise from holding spring and summer salmon fisheries that start next month as everyone also attempts to limit the spread of the disease, but he stressed state officials are drafting plans to provide extra protection to local residents and fisheries workers. He also noted that salmon is just one sector of the state’s diverse and year-round fishing industry. “I think people are wondering whether we’re going to have fisheries; I think they forget that we actually have a lot of fisheries in the water right now and we’re geared up to manage those,” Vincent-Lang said. >click to read< 13:07
Coronavirus restaurant closures are devastating. We thought we had insurance for that.
It’s been devastating to close our doors and say goodbye to our daily routine — and, with it, the camaraderie we experienced with our teams and guests. And now my employees, comprising 1,200, can no longer perform their roles in New York, Florida, Nevada and California. They are not alone: every restaurant across the country has been shuttered by various governments,, As time goes by, more and more, people are realizing how vital restaurants are for local communities, providing work for farmers, fishermen and foragers; general contractors, plumbers, HVAC specialists and electricians who work on our restaurants; and launderers, florists, designers, and countless others who create the atmospheres we look for. >click to read< 12:13
City of Morro Bay will allow fishermen to sell directly from boats starting May 1
“We have about 90 active boats fishing commercially,”,,”If the restaurants and the state doesn’t reopen, the fishermen are going to have to sell directly off their boat to the consumer,”. The City of Morro Bay has already approved for that to happen starting May 1, as long as social distancing is maintained. As of May 1, anyone will be able to buy whole salmon, rock fish and crab from the commercial fishing boats docked in Morro Bay Harbor. The fish will be sold whole, not filleted. Hafer says to look for signs in the harbor and along the Embarcadero directing you to the boats selling fish. Also, remember to bring an ice chest and plenty of ice. >click to read< 08:43
Coronavirus: ‘Extremely difficult’ for fishing industry to maintain health protocols if season proceeds: union
“Truth be told, it’s going to be extremely difficult,” says Martin Mallet, the executive director of the Maritime Fishermen’s Union. “The boats are not designed to enable social distancing.” A letter to the federal government, signed by Lobster Processors of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and more than 20 other industry stakeholders, have called for a delay of at least two weeks.,, “But on top of that, we have some extremely serious issues with the markets right now, especially for lobster,” Mallet says. >click to read< 07:54
Unmoored and unsure, fishermen make do – Direct boat sales stem the tide for some.
Saturday, folks came to Menemsha to buy directly off the decks of local scallop boats. Business was brisk. Captain Sam Hopkins, aboard the Endurance, mongered to a steady queue of masked customers. Like the nearby Martha Rose, sea scallops off the Endurance sold for $15 per pound. “It was really nice to have some local support and have people who bought scallops right off the boat,” Hopkins said. Lobsterman Jason Gale has also turned to direct boat sales. From the deck of the Watch Out at Lake Street Landing he sold lobsters at $8 apiece, regardless of weight, on Saturday. Gale said he put a 10 lobster cap per customer and sold out. photos, >click to read< 15:59
Coronavirus: Specter of overescapement shouldn’t influence fisheries decisions
The management of sustainable salmon fisheries in Alaska is based on a ‘fixed escapement policy’ where the goal is to allow enough salmon into our rivers and lakes to fill the spawning habitat, and on average produce maximum or optimum long-term fishery yield. When more fish enter streams than targeted by escapement goals, this is referred to as ‘overescapement’ by fishery scientists and managers. So then, if salmon fisheries are restricted in the summer of 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis, will the resulting ‘overescapement’ cause damage this year, or in future years, to salmon or their ecosystems? >click to read< 07:52
Coronavirus: Restaurant Closures Put Oregon Seafood Industry In Limbo
Commercial fisherman Clint Funderburg should be on the ocean right now, catching Dungeness crab on his fishing boat, the Widgeon. When crab prices tanked a few weeks ago, he shifted gears to his off-season side gig. So, he’s building a refrigeration system for one of the many fishing boats that are stuck at the dock right now. Mandatory restaurant closures during the coronavirus pandemic have sent shock waves through Oregon’s $700 million seafood industry. The overwhelming majority of the seafood that lands on Oregon’s docks gets eaten in restaurants, and no one knows when that market will return. In the meantime, fishermen are parking their boats as seafood prices plummet. >click to read< 18:04
While coronavirus threatens seafood economy, community fisheries find ways to stay afloat
Major commercial fisheries, including the iconic Maine lobster fisheries, have ground to a halt.,, Consider the lucrative Pacific halibut fisheries, which opened in mid-March. These fisheries largely serve fine dining restaurants. Combined with the loss of sales to markets like China, seafood producers from east to west are without a market for their product. Combined with the loss of sales to markets like China, seafood producers from east to west are without a market for their product. But decades of globalization, industrialization and environmental change have brought many coastal communities to the brink, because of coastal development, climate change or they’ve lost fishing rights to industry consolidation. To meet this moment, many need more than just an invigorated customer base. >click to read< 12:16
Coronavirus: Copper River salmon fishery nears without travel restrictions from Cordova City Council
As of Monday, commercial salmon fishing operations in Cordova are moving forward with few protections in place for residents beyond statewide health mandates.,, Although it is not business as usual for fishermen preparing for the mid-May opening, some people in the community fear that not nearly enough has changed to protect the town from a coronavirus outbreak.,, Some fishermen who spoke against the travel hold said that restricting travel would disrupt plans for their crews to travel to the area and complete a 14-day quarantine before the start of the season.,, “Not everyone is going to see the situation the same,” Lange said. “A fisherman by their very nature, one, they’re optimists. Two, they’re very independent. And three, they see the world through a very narrow focus, >click to read< 08:23
State overrules Wrangell, says it can’t add its own COVID-19 restrictions – Wrangell’s proposed restrictions on people arriving at the island community have been shelved after the state said the Southeast city doesn’t have the authority. City leaders had wanted to coordinate the flow of commercial fishermen and fish plant workers expected to arrive for the season. >click to read< 08:56
Distraught UK fishermen face wipe out over coronavirus and EU
The British fishing industry could be “wiped out” because of the coronavirus outbreak keeping fishermen from selling their products to the wider public. The British and Scottish Governments have both issued guidance and rolled out new policies in a bid to help the fishing industry survive the crisis but fishermen have warned their policies may not be enough. Scottish trawler Alistair Sinclair told the Today programme: “We don’t really know what is ahead of us. “There’s no light at the end of the tunnel. We may get to the point where boats are of little value. “Everything we’ve worked for through our life to get where we are today could be erased like rubber on a piece of paper.” >click to read< 07:21
“If lobster people fish, then processors are going to process,” – Processors working on assumed May 1 season start
It is unlikely P.E.I.’s seafood processors will have all the temporary foreign workers they normally have to operate in time for a regular start to the lobster season.,, Jerry Gavin, executive director of the processors’ association, said there will be challenges for his members but they will get the job done if called upon., Gavin recognizes there will be some significant hurdles.”,, Probably one-third of the workforce is temporary foreign workers. Those workers are probably not going to come in here on time. So processors are looking at trying to expand the local labour.” To be ready to start May 1, temporary foreign workers would have to arrive on P.E.I. next week — because they will need to quarantine for 14 days before they can go to the plants. >click to read< 15:51
Fish Local: Leigh fisherman backs industry campaign
Following the closure of export markets in France and Belgium, the campaign, called Fish Local, asks residents to cook more locally caught fish and seafood. A website has been set up, called www.fishlocal.org, which states on its home page: “During normal times, 80% of a catch for fishermen in Kent and Essex goes to foreign markets. Due to the current covid-19 crisis, all major international and national markets for fish and shellfish have closed or are limited. “By connecting you, the local community with the local fish supply, we hope we can keep the Kent and Essex fishing industry afloat and the shops full. We are working hard with the local fishing community to bring you closer to quality, fresh fish in and around your area.” >click to read< 11:48
CARES Act – Paycheck Protection Program: Small businesses in Provincetown, on Cape Cod report mixed emergency loan success
After the program received more than 220,000 applications for $66 billion in loans since it opened last Friday, according to the Wall Street Journal, lawmakers are working on adding money with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin asking for $250 billion more.,, “I think the delay is the sheer volume of people applying,” said Chatham commercial fisherman Shannon Eldredge, who works as a navigator for the Massachusetts Fishing Partnership, which assists fishermen and their families with health care and financial help. “I’m hearing it’s going to take longer than anticipated.” Still, she said her organization and clients were pleased that the SBA was answering phones and questions and providing updates on the status of individual applications. >click to read< 11:06
