June 4, 2021 — U.S. seafood suppliers, processors, and wholesalers are facing a major labor shortage, transportation price hikes, and increased costs of seafood, packaging, and other supplies that are complicating their operations, just as the country looks set to emerge from the yearlong COVID-19 crisis.
National Fisheries Institute President John Connelly said the labor shortage is the latest in a long line of challenges that have beset the industry since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.