Feds offer help to seafood industry

Seafood interests got good news from Washington this week.
The White House issued an executive order Wednesday designed to streamline aquaculture development and promote fair trade.
And Louisiana fisheries will receive $14.8 million in federal aid to make up for losses resulting from the COVID-19 epidemic.
The American Shrimp Processing Association praised the executive order.
The association said one of the order’s key policy objectives is to “hold imported seafood to the same food safety requirements as domestically produced seafood.” An Interagency Seafood Task Force is created to pre-pare a comprehensive strategy to achieve this and other policy goals related to international seafood trade.
“Our goal throughout this process has been to establish greater support for American shrimp processors and harvesters,” said association Executive Director David Veal. “The domestic shrimp industry deserves a fair trade economic environment and the American consumer deserves safe imported seafood held to the same safety standards as our domestic seafood.”
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., announced the $14.8 million in Louisiana fisheries assistance.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated many important parts of Louisiana’s economy, including fisheries. This is welcomed funding that will help our fisheries address their losses and make it through these very chal-lenging times. More needs to be done, but this is a great start,” Cassidy said.
The CARES Act provided $300 million in funding to assist hard-hit fisheries in states and territories. Louisiana is receiving the eighth largest investment of those states and territories receiving funding.
Fishery participants eligible for funding — including Tribes, commercial fishing businesses, charter/for-hire fishing businesses, qualified aquaculture operations, processors, and other fishery-related businesses — should work with their state marine fisheries management agencies, territories, or tribe to understand the process for applying for these funds.
Funds will be provided to the Gulf States Regional Fishery Commission that will work with the states to devel-op plans for how these dollars will be spent. More information on accessing funding will be available soon on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association website.