November 6, 2020 — Like other industries, Ocean City commercial fisheries have adapted to business during the covid-19 pandemic.
This is especially important as local fisheries have declined, even before the pandemic.
Sonny Gwin, a commercial fisherman and member of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, said he normally makes 60 to 70 percent of his income in March. This March, he didn’t make anything close to that.
“That was when covid hit and all the restaurants closed down,” Gwin said. “Now all the restaurants still haven’t opened up to full capacity, which is causing the price of black sea bass, my main stay fishery, to be at a low economic value.”
Although he couldn’t sell nearly as much to restaurants, Gwin said he was lucky that his business was considered essential and avoided a shutdown.
Since he couldn’t sell to restaurants, Gwin sold directly to the public, which he said was good for those who were scared to go to grocery stores.