The U.S. Department of Agriculture did not award around USD 21 million (EUR 21.1 million) of its planned total USD 52 million (EUR 52.4 million) purchase of seafood sourced from the Pacific Northwest.
The USDA could not award contracts for 30,600 cases (34 truckloads) of Pacific rockfish fillets due to price considerations, as well as 900 cases (one truckload) due to vendor constraints. The agency also did not award contracts for 51,300 cases (55 truckloads) of Pacific whiting fillets due to vendor constraints and 1,800 cases (two truckloads) due to pricing overages.
“At this point, I'm not sure if there will be a second solicitation for the remainder of the funds,” West Coast Seafood Processors Association Executive Director Lori L. Steele told SeafoodSource. “I believe the USDA wants those funds spent by the end of its fiscal year, [which ends] 30 September. So, time is tight for a second round. I'm not sure what happens to any funds that are not spent.”
However, the contracts that were awarded will provide “direct economic benefits to communities up and down the West Coast over the next several months as the orders are filled,” Steele said.
Clackmas, Oregon, U.S.A.-based Dulcich Inc. won the majority of the new contracts, which total more than USD 31 million (EUR 31.2 million).
Dulcich will supply USD 18.2 million (EUR 18.3 million) worth of Pacific Northwest seafood, while Ocean Gold Seafoods, in Westport, Washington, was awarded a contract worth around USD 6.2 million (EUR 6.24 million).
Bellingham, Washington-based Bornstein Seafoods will supply USD 5.4 million (EUR 5.43 million) worth, while Seattle, Washington-based OBI Seafoods will supply nearly USD 1.3 million (EUR 1.3 million) of seafood.
Collectively, the suppliers will provide nearly USD 12.7 million (EUR 12.8 million) worth of Pacific whiting fillets, nearly USD 11.1 million (EUR 11.2 million) worth of Pacific rockfish, and around USD 7.37 million (EUR 7.4 million) of Pacific salad shrimp.
In late July 2022, the USDA told Washington’s two U.S. senators, Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, it would be purchasing USD 52 million (EUR 51 million) worth of seafood products sourced from the U.S. Pacific Northwest.
The USDA said it planned to purchase USD 22 million (EUR 22.2 million) of Pacific whiting, USD 18 million (EUR 18.1 million) of Pacific rockfish, and USD 12 million (EUR 12.1 million) of Pacific pink shrimp.
The USDA said its acquisition was meant to support the region’s seafood industry, which has been hit hard by COVID-19 and climate change, the two Democrats said in a press release at the time.
Photo courtesy of oceanfishing/Shutterstock
