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Early effects of COVID-19 on US fisheries and seafood consumption.
White, Easton R; Froehlich, Halley E; Gephart, Jessica A; Cottrell, Richard S; Branch, Trevor A; Agrawal Bejarano, Rahul; Baum, Julia K.
Affiliation
  • White ER; Biology Department University of Vermont Burlington VT USA.
  • Froehlich HE; Gund Institute for Environment University of Vermont Burlington VT USA.
  • Gephart JA; Ecology, Evolution, & Marine Biology University of California Santa Barbara CA USA.
  • Cottrell RS; Environmental Studies University of California Santa Barbara CA USA.
  • Branch TA; Department of Environmental Science American University Washington DC USA.
  • Agrawal Bejarano R; National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis University of California Santa Barbara CA USA.
  • Baum JK; School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences University of Washington Seattle WA USA.
Fish Fish (Oxf) ; 22(1): 232-239, 2021 Jan.
Article in En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33362433
The US seafood sector is susceptible to shocks, both because of the seasonal nature of many of its domestic fisheries and its global position as a top importer and exporter of seafood. However, many data sets that could inform science and policy during an emerging event do not exist or are only released months or years later. Here, we synthesize multiple data sources from across the seafood supply chain, including unconventional real-time data sets, to show the relative initial responses and indicators of recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic. We synthesized news articles from January to September 2020 that reported effects of COVID-19 on the US seafood sector, including processor closures, shortened fishing seasons and loss of revenue. Concerning production and distribution, we assessed past and present landings and trade data and found substantial declines in fresh seafood catches (-40%), imports (-37%) and exports (-43%) relative to the previous year, while frozen seafood products were generally less affected. Google search trends and seafood market foot traffic data suggest consumer demand for seafood from restaurants dropped by upwards of 70% during lockdowns, with recovery varying by state. However, these declines were partially offset by an increase (270%) in delivery and takeout service searches. Our synthesis of open-access data sets and media reports shows widespread, but heterogeneous, ramifications of COVID-19 across the seafood sector, implying that policymakers should focus support on states and sub-sectors most affected by the pandemic: fishery-dependent communities, processors, and fisheries and aquaculture that focus on fresh products.
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Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Language: En Journal: Fish Fish (Oxf) Year: 2021 Document type: Article Country of publication:

Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Language: En Journal: Fish Fish (Oxf) Year: 2021 Document type: Article Country of publication: