The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced its plan to purchase domestic seafood products, including up to $17 million for three products specifically from the West Coast, for food assistance programs. The timing couldn’t be better as fishermen and processors are still coping with COVID-19 pandemic disruptions to seafood markets and global supply chains. The USDA announcement also calls for buying other domestic commodities.
Of the $159.4 million in funding for purchasing domestic products, up to $4 million can be used to purchase Pacific rockfish filets; $4 million for Pacific pink shrimp and $9 million for Pacific hake (whiting). Other seafood items include pollock and salmon from Alaska and shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic.
“COVID-19 upended our domestic and global markets,” West Coast Seafood Processors Association Executive Director Lori Steele said. “The USDA purchases will help supplement and stabilize our existing markets, allowing us to keep American fishing and processing families working through difficult times. The USDA and public get healthy, nutritious seafood from sustainable stocks. It truly is a win-win.”
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