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In letter to Congress, over 200 representatives from leading seafood companies and nonprofit organizations from across the country describe how promotional efforts would support public health and environmental goals while aiding hard-hit seafood communities
Washington, D.C. – Today, over 200 prominent members of the national seafood community wrote to Congress formally requesting Congressional investment in a multi-year seafood promotion campaign. The campaign would promote the enormous public health benefits of eating seafood while also helping an industry that employs over a million American workers.
“American seafood is so much more than just another meal option. It represents a proud way of life and a stable job for millions,” the letter from seafood industry leaders states. “[A] national investment in seafood will not only deliver a much-needed boost to companies and communities around the country but will also provide long-term benefits for the country’s public health and environment.”
This letter is part of a national push for Congressional investment in a seafood marketing program. The campaign to fund the program reflects diverse seafood companies and interests locking arms in support of a common goal to help the industry recover from the pandemic and tout the public health benefits at a time of mounting physical and mental health challenges.
The letter specifically calls out the important public health benefits that would be the central focus of the promotion campaign: “Fish is an important source of protein and other nutrients, and is a vital contributor to brain development, and healthy immune, skeletal, and cardiovascular systems,” the letter states. “These benefits are especially pronounced among new mothers, babies, seniors, and adults at risk for heart disease.”
The national campaign is driven by the National Seafood Council Task Force, a collection of America’s leading seafood producers, suppliers and processors, and is also supported by an array of America’s leading seafood councils and non-governmental organizations. Together, the coalition is pushing Congress to invest $25 million a year over a five-year period for the seafood promotion campaign.
The impetus for a promotion campaign comes from a recommendation by the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee, which has called for a marketing and promotion campaign “that features the value of seafood for health and nutritional benefits.” Read more on that recommendation HERE.
Over the coming months, as Congress considers annual Appropriations legislation to fund government activities, the letter signers across the country will continue to press Congress on the need for the promotion campaign. Their activities will include additional letters, meetings and events highlighting the public health, economic and environmental benefits to the country of increasing seafood consumption.
For more information on the letter sent to Congress or upcoming activities of the campaign please contact press@seafoodcampaign.org. You can also visit seafoodcampaign.org for more information.
The full text of the letter sent to Congress follows:
Dear Chairman Leahy, Ranking Member Shelby, Chairwoman DeLauro, and Ranking Member Granger,
Thank you for your continued support for the American seafood industry. For hundreds of years, seafood has been a cultural touchstone for communities, and has provided a proud livelihood for generations of families from coast to coast.
While we have experienced difficult times in the past, the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on restaurants, trade, labor, and supply chains is unlike anything we have endured. As the industry continues to rebound, a national investment in seafood will not only deliver a much-needed boost to companies and communities around the country but will also provide long-term benefits for the country’s public health and environment.
Seafood is an important source of protein and other nutrients, and is a vital contributor to brain development, and healthy immune, skeletal, and cardiovascular systems. These benefits are especially pronounced among new mothers, babies, seniors, and adults at risk for heart disease. Additionally, seafood is a climate friendly protein, with a low environmental impact.
Therefore, as you consider the importance of seafood in the appropriations conversations happening in Congress, the undersigned groups urge you to support a robust investment of $25 million per year over five years into a national seafood promotion campaign that will help American seafood workers rebound from a difficult couple of years and reinforce the public health benefits of seafood consumption.
We are thankful for countless members, on both sides of the aisle, who have fought to secure much-needed federal assistance for fishermen, farmers, processors, distributors, and seafood companies along the supply chain during the pandemic. Furthermore, we greatly appreciate the broader commitment made by many in Congress to help build a stronger and more resilient seafood industry – an aspiration echoed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The most effective and quickest way to ensure that that goal is accomplished is to adequately fund a national promotion campaign to highlight the importance of seafood to the country’s economy, public health, and environment.
Unfortunately, our industry needs this boost to rebound from the last two years of COVID-caused economic hardships. According to a NOAA report, 2020 revenue from commercial fishing landings revenue declined across all regions by an average of 22% relative to 2015-2019, and the seafood industry as a whole continued to struggle due to a reliance on exports, restaurants, and inflationary pressures. A lack of demand and slowdowns in our supply chains led some fishermen to tie up their boats until things got better and many seafood companies need help to reposition in this new economic reality.
Today the industry contributes $60 billion to the national economy and supports 1.2 million American jobs from coast to coast – the majority of whom are blue-collar, hard-working people, who go to work before most people are awake to make sure our grocery stores and restaurants have the fish, clams, lobsters, shrimp, and more that they need.
We are confident that through a unified national seafood promotion campaign, we will not only help the industry rebound for the foreseeable future, but we will firmly establish seafood as a staple in most Americans’ diets.
American seafood is so much more than just another meal option. It represents a proud way of life and a stable job for millions. As America’s seafood workers recover from two years of struggle, now is the time to invest in their success, and in a sustainable and healthy future for all of us.
We look forward to working with you to build out these priorities that will energize the American seafood industry and create a more sustainable future for food.
Signed:
Andrea Albersheim Seafood Nutrition Partnership
Kenneth Allard Guckenheimer
Mark Allison Forever Oceans
Jared Auerbach Red's Best
Kipp Baratoff Fishpeople Seafood
Roger Barlow Catfish Farmers of America
Michael Adrian Barnes Island Aquaponics and Tilapia Hatchery
Gary Beatty Inland Shrimp Company
Sebastian Belle Maine Aquaculture Association
Ashley Besecker Premier Catch
Joci Besecker Premier Catch
Jodi Blanch Gorton's
Eric Bloom Eastern Fish Company
Todd Blount Blount Fine Foods
Jeffrey Bolton IQF Custom Packing, LLC
Leann Bosarge Bosarge Boats, Inc.
Laurel Breault American Mussel Harvesters, Inc.
Dr. Tom Brenna University of Texas
Ben Brock Char Restaurant
Vincent Buie
Jay Burke Avramar, Better Fish, Better Lives
Jennifer Bushman Route to Market
Tommy Call Associated Wholesale Grocers
Rose Cantwell Cedar Key Aquaculture
Mike Cape Censea
Johnny Carino Johnny Carino, LLC
Hampton Carver CarverCo, LLC
David Caslow Acme Smoked Fish
Maddie Cassidy Global Seafood Alliance
Gregory Casten ProFish
Richard Castle Giant Eagle
Jerry Chang Chang International Inc.
Barry Cohen Atlantic Capes Fisheries
Sonja Connor Oregon Health & Science University
Shey Conover Islesboro Marine Enterprises
Kate Consenstein Rising Tide Communications
John Corbin Aquaculture Planning & Advocacy
Linda Cornish Seafood Nutrition Partnership
Larry Cotter Napa Seafood Foundation
Jeff Cowles Research Chefs Association
Eric Critchlow Marine Stewardship Council
Renato Curto Inter Oceanic Holdings, LLC
Mark Daily Idaho Aquaculture Association
Soren Dalsager Royal Greenland
Jenni Davis Sea Port Products Corporation
Fiona de Koning Hollander and de Koning
Garrett Delgado Neptune Snacks
Bill DiMento High Liner Foods
Melissa Dobbins Sound Bites, Inc.
Tom Domino Wakefern Food Corp.
Susan Dominy Aquafeed.com, LLC
Richard F. Draves Draves & Associates, LLC
Bill Dresser Sea Port Products Corporation
Jason Driskill H-E-B
Joan Eads FishWise
Mike Eddy Beacon Fisheries
Mark Ely Aqua-Life
Tom Enlow UniSea
Michelle Faist StarKist
Erika Feller Marine Stewardship Council
Stephen Felsenthal Riverence
Bob Fields Global Protein Solution, LLC
Derek Figueroa Seattle Fish Co.
Pat Fontaine MS Hospitality and Restaurant Assoc.
Mark Frisch Beaver Street Fisheries, Inc.
Amy Frizzell Seafood Nutrition Partnership
| Sam Galletti Southwind Foods/Great American Seafood Charles Gendron Baja Aquaculture Inc.
Robert Gill Gill Marine Corporation
Dave Glaubke Sea Port Products Corporation
Jeff Goldberg Fortune Imports
Kimberly Gorton Slade Gorton and Co., Inc.
Jim Gossen Gulf Seafood Foundation
Brandon Gottsacker Superior Fresh
Michael Graham Monterey Bay Seaweeds
Ashley Greenley FishWise
Nelson Griffin Red Lobster Seafood Company
Amy Grondin Duna Fisheries, LLC
Catherine Guetarni Slade Gorton and Co., Inc.
Daniel Hanks King and Prince Seafood
Jim Harmon SeaShare
Mary Harmon SeaShare
Chris Harrington Lonestar Seafood
Steven Hart Global Seafood Alliance
Nate Hefti Superior Fresh
Hannah Heimbuch Under Sixty Cod Harvesters
Rod Hepponstall High Liner Foods
Marcus Hinz Oregon Coast Visitors Associations
Kurt Hogan Gorton's
Rhonda Hubbard Kruzof Fisheries, LLC
Bill Hueffner Pacific Seafood Group
Linda Hunt Yankee Fishermen's Cooperative
Chris Hussey Gorton's
Phillip Jeffrey Bay Hill Seafood Sales
Amy Johnson American Mussel Harvesters, Inc.
Dick Jones Blue Ocean Mariculture
Jessica Jones StarKist
David Kelly Innovasea
Brenton Kernes Newalla Fish Company, LLC
Matthew Kilfoil Cooke
Jack Kilgore Rich Products
Joe Koran ZnK, LLC
Kazuo Kozakai Nippon Suisan (USA), Inc.
Thomas Kraft Norpac Fisheries Export
Emma Kramer Straight to the Plate
Kurtis Kramer Straight to the Plate
Julie Kuchepatov SAGE
Matthew Lebo AKUA Life PBC
Cheng Lee University of Hawaii
Michael Lee California Aquaculture Association
Lisa Leger NFNE
Neil Leininger Veramaris
Kerry Lewis FW Bryce
Christian L'Heureux North Coast Seafoods
Hugh Link Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission
Joseph Logan Trident Seafoods
Teresa Low Acme Smoked Fish
Meghan Luck Alaska Wild Caught Seafood
Kara Lydon Kara Lydon Nutrition
Jordan Lynch G-Town Oyster Co.
Wendy Mainardi Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
Ben Martens Maine Coast Fishermen's Association
Nancy Mathews Cox's Wholesale Seafood, LLC
Zach Mazzetta Mazzetta Company, LLC
Stephen McCauley The Ginger Network
Kathleen McDavitt Aquaculture Stewardship Council
Smokey McKeen Pemaquid Oyster Co.
Jeanne McKnight Northwest Aquaculture Alliance
Russ McPherson Harvest Select Catfish
Nichole Medina Blue Ocean Mariculture
Nick Mendoza Neptune Snacks
Devan Meserve Global Seafood Alliance
Robert Michaud Gorton's | Jessica Miller Seafood Nutrition Partnership
Elaine Moquette-Magee Albertsons
Jim Motos Rich Products
Christopher Nelson Bon Secour Fisheries, Inc.
Ryan Nelson Late Harvest Kitchen
Tim Novotny Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission
Lauren Nutini American Mussel Harvesters, Inc.
Roger O'Brien Santa Monica Seafood
Meagan O'Reilly North Coast Seafoods
Sarah Oeltjen Premier Catch
Robert Orr Cuna Del Mar
Mark M. Palmer OBI Seafoods, LLC
Mike Parks Tampa Bay Fisheries, Inc.
Victoria Parr Veramaris
Harlon Pearce Harlon's LA Seafood
Brian Perkins Global Seafood Alliance
Brice Phillips Phillips Foods, Inc.
Diane Pleschner-Steele California Wetfish Producers Association
Philip Powell Global Seas, LLC
Paula Quigley American Mussel Harvesters, Inc.
Joe Rankin NH Community Seafood
Jenny Shea Rawn JSR Ventures
Peter Redmond Aquaculture Stewardship Council
Judson Reis
Robert Rheault East Coast Shellfish Growers Association
Randy Rhodes Harvest Select Catfish
Katy Rivera For Cod and Country, LLC
Jillian Robillard Southern Maine Crabs, LLC
Fiona Robinson SeaShare
Bryan Rosenberg Chicken of the Sea
Joe Rosenberg Censea
Michael-Ann Rowe Off the Beaten Palate Productions
Dave Rudie Catalina Offshore
Norman Salem
Monica San Miguel Forever Oceans
Jennifer Scheer Rubio's Restaurant Inc.
Shannon Schell Premier Catch
Angela Scheufele Rubio's Restaurant Inc.
Barton Seaver For Cod and Country, LLC
Sara Sinnott Oldways
Jeff Stern Censea
Ainsley Stollar Seafood Nutrition Partnership
Ellen Stollar
Steven Summerfelt Superior Fresh, LLC
Caroline Susie Caroline Susie RD
Adam Taylor North Coast Seafoods
Thayne Taylor Kauai Sea Farms
Jan Tharpe Bumble Bee Seafoods
Kim Thompson Aquarium of the Pacific
Michael Tlusty UMass Boston
Andrea Tomlinson New England Young Fishermen's Alliance
Jessie Trinchard Neptune Snacks
Joe Urban Greenville County Schools
Cyndi Van Hook Coral Reef Seafood
Gretchen Vannice
Salvatore Versaggi Versaggi Shrimp Corp.
Afton Vigue Maine Aquaculture Association
Daniel Vogler Harrietta Hills Trout Farm, LLC
Anthony Vuoso Cal Marine Fish Company
Cynthia Wallesz C&G's Wild Alaska Salmon
Bethany Walton Oyster South
Celeste Weller Yakobi Fisheries
Hugh Welsh DSM North America
Dana White Dana White Nutrition
Sam Wiley
Danny Woodson Tampa Bay Fisheries
Sandy Yi-Davis Seafood Nutrition Partnership
James Zurbrick Fish For America USA |