Treading Water: Alaska's fishing industry struggles through pandemic.

• Author: Simonelli, Isaac Stone
• Position: FISHERIES

Though Alaska seafood industry harvest numbers were not significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a year-over-year decline in harvest value, according to a McDowell Group report.

The decline in value connected to the pandemic is primarily tied to operating and transportation costs and significant devastation to food service markets.

"In March, when the pandemic started to erupt in the US, the fishing industry realized immediately we were going to need to put safety precautions in place in order to have successful and safe seasons," United Fishermen of Alaska (UFA) Executive Director Frances Leach says.

"With so many fishermen and processor workers flocking to Alaska during the summer, the potential for mass outbreaks coming from within the industry was high."

Leach says UFA became a clearinghouse for COVID-19 updates as its team worked with processors, harvesters, medical experts, and the state to help the industry comply with Health Mandate 17, which focused on protective measures for independent commercial fishing vessels.

"We worked hard to keep the fleet up-to-date on what they needed to know, whether they were a member of UFA or not. Fishermen are known for keeping the best fishing spots to themselves and being elusive when it comes to giving up information," Leach says. "The pandemic taught us there was no time for that--we needed to come together and share whatever information we could with each other. We were all in a boat together, patching the holes so we could stay afloat and have a season. I was really proud of our industry and what we accomplished in such a short time."

The Pandemic's Impact

The biggest impact on most harvesters was not costs related to COVID-19 safety precautions but the state of the market during the pandemic, Leach says. In general, fish prices were down while processing costs increased.

"Typically, in poor return years, fishermen can rely on a decent price for their product," says Leach. "This year, there was hardly any fish, and they were getting paid peanuts for their product."

For some harvesters, the season was so bad that they quit mid-season to go back to their winter jobs early. Leach says.

Remaining in business during a pandemic comes with a set of unprecedented problems including the need to minimize this new risk and disruption in key markets for Alaska seafood on top of already significant pre-COVID-19 challenges.

Seafood processors operated in 2020 under a State of Alaska mandate specific to processing plants and processing vessels (Health Mandate 10, App. 1). "Minimizing the risk of COVID-19 transmission and outbreaks has certainly increased operating costs," Pacific Seafood Processors Association President Chris Barrows says.

"Alaska seafood processors have spent tens of millions of dollars implementing proactive health and safety protocols to ensure we are minimizing risks to Alaska communities, protecting our seasonal and resident workforce, and maintaining operations."

The costs Alaska seafood processing facilities face in managing the pandemic are myriad, ranging from hiring medical companies to provide daily screening to modifying processing lines to secure proper social distancing. Barrows explains.

"Our members' efforts have been...