Photo courtesy of NOAA Fisheries
Seafood Harvesters Urge Commerce Secretary Ross to Announce Plan for $300M Disbursement Now
It's been nearly a month since the CARES Act was passed with $300 million earmarked for fisheries assistance fund, and there has been no agency named to oversee the disbursement or plan to mete out the funds. Seafood Harvesters of America sent a letter yesterday asking the Commerce Secretary Ross to be transparent and quick in telling the public how they will disburse the assistance funds.
The letter was also sent to Paul Doremus, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Operations, and Chris Oliver, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries.
“We call upon the Department of Commerce and NOAA to clearly articulate their distribution process for the $300 million in fisheries assistance funds to ensure it is public and transparent. We also request the funds be expeditiously disbursed to the eligible recipients once this process is developed,” wrote Leigh Habegger, Executive Director and Robert Dooley, President of Seafood Harvesters of America.
Seafood Harvesters represent 18 member groups and thousands of fishermen from Alaska to Maine. As members of an essential industry, fishermen continue to provide fresh and frozen fish to consumers. But with drastic supply chain disruptions resulting from restaurant closures and limited or no grocery markets for fresh fish, the economic losses already incurred by the commercial fishing industry have been “staggering.”
The letter asked Secretary Ross to not only name the agency within Commerce that will disburse the funds and make that process transparent, but to also be aware that more funds will be needed.
“The $300 million appropriated in the CARES Act is only the start to helping the commercial fishing industry stay afloat during this pandemic and continue to supply fresh, sustainable seafood for the American people. Any future dollars appropriated will need to be quickly disbursed to the fishing industry, which is why the process you set forth in this initial round is so important, Habegger and Dooley wrote.
“We strongly urge the Department of Commerce and NOAA to provide transparency in the development of the process to allocate the $300 million in fisheries assistance so that the commercial fishing industry can understand how to appropriately access those funds. Getting this process correct will allow for the subsequent disbursement of funds to happen efficiently now and with any additional funding appropriated in the future.”
“Approximately 70% of the money spent on seafood in 2017 in the United States was spent on seafood consumed at restaurants, cafeterias, and through catering services.[1] As these businesses have shuttered, our fishing businesses have also suffered. The U.S. is a global leader in sustainable seafood, but without an immediate lifeline, we risk losing the fishermen, the fishing businesses, and the associated working waterfronts that have made our commercial fishing industry the gold standard. “Furthermore, the commercial fishing industry is the economic backbone in many coastal communities and without a strong fishing industry, many of these coastal communities will face enormous financial challenges. It is imperative this money reach qualified recipients quickly.”
Peggy Parker
SeafoodNews.com
1-781-861-1441
peggyparker@urnerbarry.com