Efforts Underway to Support the Fishing Industry
Groups working actively on these issues
We’d like to extend a big thanks to the following organizations that are working with legislators to get COVID relief for the fishing industry. We will add updates here, but also encourage you to sign up to directly receive their email alerts:
NATIONAL DISCUSSIONS
July 29th - U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), chair of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, convened a hearing titled, “Building a Stronger and More Resilient Seafood Sector” to examine the national and regional impacts of COVID-19 on the seafood industry and the effects of the fish disaster funding provided in the CARES Act. View the hearing here.
May 18th - Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), chair of the Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee, led a roundtable on how coronavirus has impacted fisheries around the country. View the discussion here.
Funding Relief for the Seafood Industry
June 27th - U.S. Treasury Department released new guidance on the Paycheck Protection Program, allowing fishing boat owners to count their 1099 crew as part of their payroll calculations. Thanks to Seafood Harvesters of America and the Fishing Communities Coalition for leading this effort. Read a summary in Undercurrent News or visit our Paycheck Protection Program page for more info.
June 14th - The Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance and One Fish coordinated a nationwide Twitter Blitz to encourage Congress to allocate more funding to the seafood industry. MBFT participated. Learn More.
May 8th - Seafood Harvesters of America sent a Letter to Congressional Leadership outlining their requests for the next COVID stimulus package
May 7th - 45 Representatives signed onto a letter led by Reps. Jared Huffman, Garret Graves, Steven Palazzo, and Kurt Schrader to House leadership supporting Seafood Harvesters’ ask for additional fisheries assistance.
May 6th - 25 Senators, led by Senators Merkley, Reed, and Murkowski, sent a letter to Senate leadership requesting an additional $1 billion in fisheries assistance.
May 4th - 238 fishing businesses and organizations representing 3 million people and 300,000 commercial fishermen sent a letter to Sec. of Commerce, Sec. of Agriculture, and Congress outlining requests for relief. MBFT signed this letter.
April 9th - 39 Representatives sent a letter to the Secretary of Commerce urging NOAA to swiftly distribute $300 million allocation to the seafood industry.
March 27th - PCFFA sent a letter to CDFW incorporating CA fishermen’s feedback on emergency actions to mitigate COVID-19 impacts. MBFT helped collect feedback from fishermen.
March 24th - Industry letter to House and Senate leaders requesting $4 billion in aid for seafood industry. MBFT signed this letter.
Observer Waivers
July 31, 2020 - NOAA establishes national-level criteria for observer waivers in wake of criticism. Read more.
June 30th - Massachusetts Representative Seth Moulton (D) voiced his concerns over the return of at-sea monitors in a press conference. Later that day, NOAA announced it's decision to waive observer requirements for the Greater Atlantic Region through July 31, 2020 due to COVID-19 risks - which left West Coast and other regions wondering why observers weren’t waived nationally? More information.
April 3rd - Seafood Harvesters of America sent a Letter to NMFS requesting a full observer waiver (not case-by-case).
OTHER RELATED EFFORTS
June 10 - The Independent Restaurant Coalition submitted a letter to Congress requesting for a stabilization fund to help restaurants survive after COVID-19, which was signed by many industry groups. In their letter, they note the decline in seafood sales: "Within one week of dining rooms closing, $1 billion in perishable goods were left sitting in the stagnant supply chain. Premium seafood product sales decreased by 80%..." MBFT signed this letter.