$22M in USDA Seafood Purchases Win Kudos From Seafood Processors
Officials with the West Coast Seafood Processors Association (WCSPA) say recent U.S. Department of Agriculture purchases of $22 million in Pacific rockfish fillets and Pacific hake fillets are helping mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Continuing this partnership in 2024 will maintain this trend,” WCSPA Executive Director Lori Steele said in a July 16 statement. The purchase benefits the USDA, the domestic seafood industry and the public, she said.
What with the current global and domestic seafood markets in disarray, the USDA’s commitment to purchasing rockfish and whiting from the West Coast will help keep fishermen on the water, allow processors to retain employees and communities to thrive, Midwater Trawlers Cooperative Executive Director Heather Mann said.
“Seafood from the West Coast is a healthy, sustainable protein for all Americans and the USDA has recognized seafood as critical components to healthy development in children,” she said.
WCSPA, the Midwater Trawlers Cooperative and Fishermen’s Marketing Association asked the Agriculture Marketing Association in an April letter to purchase Pacific rockfish and Pacific Hake as Section 32 “bonus buys” that go directly to food assistance programs and American families.
WCSPA noted that West Coast fishermen and processors have faced many challenges since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, including competition from low-cost imported proteins, the pandemic’s lasting impact on the restaurant market, and global trade disruptions due to Russian conflicts.
For example, Russian surimi products made from pollock and hake have flooded global markets, resulting in job losses in American, they said.
Oregon lawmakers, including Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, and Reps. Suzanne Bonamici, Val Hoyle and Andrea Salinas, all supported the purchases, WCSPA officials said.
