The U.S. Department of Agriculture has selected the University of Maine’s (UMaine) Local Catch Network to lead the new Office of Seafood’s outreach efforts.
“This collaboration helps ensure that industry voices remain at the heart of the America First Seafood Strategy, setting clear expectations for support while building a competitive, fair, and resilient future for American seafood producers,” Local Catch Network Program Manager Jessica Gribbon Joyce said in a release.
Hosted by UMaine, the 15-year-old Local Catch Network provides free business and technical assistance, networking, and research opportunities to seafood businesses across the country.
Now, USDA has reached an agreement with UMaine that will see the Local Catch Network lead the Office of Seafood's outreach to industry. The group will be charged with hosting educational webinars, organizing listening sessions, and soliciting recommendations and feedback from the seafood sector.
“Following the initial announcement of the Office of Seafood, the USDA received hundreds of direct inquiries from domestic seafood harvesters seeking clarity on program eligibility and calling for a targeted seafood marketing strategy,” Office of Seafood Interim Director Michael Illenberg said in a release. “This new agreement directly addresses those needs, serving as a pivotal step to fully integrate seafood harvesting, processing, and distribution into existing USDA programs and services.”
The Office of Seafood was established in April following years of lobbying from the seafood sector, which has sought more visibility within USDA’s portfolio and better access to the department’s programs and financial services.
“Despite 50 years of progress and recognition that aquatic and marine foods make important contributions to the food and nutrition needs of the nation, the seafood sector remains somewhat disconnected from USDA,” Joshua Stoll, Local Catch Network co-founder and associate professor of marine policy in UMaine's School of Marine Sciences, said in a release. “The Office of Seafood has the potential to be an important course correction that would not only benefit fishing communities and seafood harvesters but also the millions of Americans who stand to gain from the benefits of increasing access to some of the nation’s most nutritious and delicious foods.”
