Adaptation and resilience of commercial fishers in the Northeastern United States during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Commercial fisheries globally experienced numerous and significant perturbations during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting the livelihoods of millions of fishers worldwide. In the Northeastern United States, fishers grappled with low prices and disruptions to export and domestic markets, leaving many tied to the dock, while others found ways to adapt to the changing circumstances brought about by the pandemic. This paper investigates the short-term impacts of the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic (March-June 2020) on commercial fishers in the Northeast U.S. to understand the effects of the pandemic on participation in the fishery and fishers’ economic outcomes, using data collected from an online survey of 258 Northeast U.S. commercial fishers. This research also assesses characteristics of those fishers who continued fishing and their adaptive strategies to the changing circumstances. Analysis of survey responses found the majority of fishers continued fishing during the early months of the pandemic, while a significant number had stopped fishing. Nearly all reported a loss of income, largely driven by disruptions of export markets, the loss of restaurant sales, and a resulting decline in seafood prices. Landings data demonstrate that while fishing pressure in 2020 was reduced for some species, it remained on track with previous years for others. Fishers reported engaging in a number of adaptation strategies, including direct sales of seafood, switching species, and supplementing their income with government payments or other sources of income. Many fishers who had stopped fishing indicated plans to return, suggesting refraining from fishing as a short-term adaptation strategy, rather than a plan to permanently stop fishing. Despite economic losses, fishers in the Northeastern U.S. demonstrated resilience in the face of the pandemic by continuing to fish and implementing other adaptation strategies rather than switching to other livelihoods.

Early effects of COVID‐19 on US fisheries and seafood consumption

“…Some stocks had landings in line with previous years, including those most familiar to US consumers, for example haddock ( Melanogrammus aeglefinus, Gadidae). Conversely, stocks targeted for exporting, for example monkfish ( Lophius americanus, Lophiidae), experienced declines in both landings and price (Smith et al., 2020).…”

“…Fisheries like those in Alaska point to examples where weekly updates of publicly available landings data can help inform science and policy. Although surveys of seafood workers were deployed during the pandemic (van Senten et al., 2020; Smith et al., 2020; Stoll et al., 2020), these were often unplanned and lacked pre‐pandemic baselines. These types of surveys should be a more regular component of government agencies in order to capture the full social and economic effects of shocks.…”

Alternative seafood networks during COVID-19: Implications for resilience and sustainability

“…ASNs exist worldwide and were identified as a "bright spot" in both high-and low-income countries during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic (Bennett et al, 2020;Gephart et al, 2020;Loring et al, 2020;OMalley, 2020). For example, in the northeast, United States, Smith et al (Smith et al, 2020) found that 60% of the 258 fishers they surveyed reported adapting to local and direct seafood sales during the pandemic. Similarly, in a global survey of more than 150 fishing organizations from 21 countries, Pita et al (2020) found that 48% of respondents had shifted to direct to consumer sales through ASNs.…”

COVID-19 and Small-scale fisheries in Africa: Impacts on livelihoods and the fish value chain in Cameroon and Liberia

“…The seafood industry has been a case-in-point for the impacts of the pandemic on society: globally, the industry has experienced significant disruptions, including small-scale fisheries (SSF), because of how closely actors in the value chain must work together (FAO, 2020a;Bennett et al, 2020;Tester, 2020). However, some in the seafood industry are finding resilience and new venues for success through community-based and other alternative marketing operations (Smith et al, 2020;Love et al, 2021;Stoll et al, 2021).…”