The U.S. Department of Agriculture is purchasing USD 52 million (EUR 51 million) worth of seafood products from the U.S. Pacific Northwest, the agency told the state's two U.S. senators, Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden.
The USDA’s planned purchase of USD 22 million (EUR 21.7 million) in Pacific whiting, USD 18 million (EUR 17.7 million) in Pacific rockfish, and USD 12 million (EUR 11.8 million) in Pacific pink shrimp will 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.
The USDA hopes to have the bids awarded by 30 September, 2022, the end of its fiscal year, West Coast Seafood Processors Association Executive Director Lori Steele told SeafoodSource.
Seafood processors have been able to keep their doors open, thanks in part to the USDA’s purchases over the past two years, Steele said in a press release.
“These purchases will continue to help supplement and stabilize our fishing and processing crews and their families through the rest of the year,” Steele said.
Merkley said the USDA's move was “huge for Oregon’s communities.”
“I am elated the USDA has made the decision to extend their purchasing agreement,” Merkley said. “Not only do our fisheries deliver incredible products all around the world, they have been the lifeblood of communities up and down Oregon’s coast for generations. This announcement ensures Oregon’s coastal fishermen and seafood producers receive critical financial assistance needed to continue operating and providing services here in Oregon and beyond.”
Oregon’s seafood industry generates jobs and builds stronger economies in towns stretching for hundreds of miles along the Oregon coast, Wyden added.
“Today’s news providing vital federal aid to coastal fisheries and processors is a real shot in the arm for Oregon communities hit by the climate crisis and the pandemic’s financial fallout,” he said.
In April 2022, Senators Merkley, Wyden, and other legislators urged USDA to continue purchasing West Coast seafood. The USDA originally said it would buy as much as USD 52 million worth of seafood sourced from the U.S. West Coast in June 2022.
Photos courtesy of the U.S. Senate
