June 16, 2021 — The U.S. Coast Guard announced on Friday, 11 June, that it would no longer require masks “in outdoor areas of maritime transportation conveyances and hubs,” according to a Marine Safety Information Bulletin.
However, until the order that requires masks can be amended officially, the order should not be enforced, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
May 28, 2021 — Following federal changes to masking guidelines for fully vaccinated citizens, issued on 13 May, Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire) submitted a letter to the U.S. Coast Guard and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) requesting a revisit and possible revision of federal masking mandates for commercial fishing vessels.
“We encourage the CDC – in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard – to revisit mask-wearing requirements specific to workers in the commercial fishing industry,” the 25 May letter states.
May 27, 2021 — The following was released by The Office of Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK):
In a letter to the CDC and Coast Guard, the Senators discuss the latest CDC mask guidance and write, “Many fishing vessel operators were therefore understandably dismayed to learn that the most recent CDC guidance does not loosen restrictions for fishing vessels that are staffed by fully vaccinated persons and are not passenger-carrying vessels as defined under 42 CFR 70.1.”
The Senators go on to discuss the concerns that they have heard from fishermen: “It is worth noting that wearing a mask on a fishing vessel may increase safety risks for operators and crew. Fishing vessels frequently use loud motors or machinery that can make it difficult for crew members to hear one another, so they may rely on lip-reading to improve communication and work together safely. Masks are also frequently wet from sea spray, which can make it more difficult to breathe. This is a condition that the CDC has generally recognized is problematic. Despite these facts, fishermen have continued to abide by the order and guidance to address the public health threat posed by COVID-19. We urge the CDC and the Coast Guard to work swiftly together to reconsider their guidance as it applies to commercial fishing vessels in order to promote the safe operation of fishing vessels and safety of the crew.”
Senators Hassan and Murkowski sent the letter after hearing from New Hampshire fishermen at the Yankee Fishermen’s Cooperative and members of the Alaska fishing industry about the dangers of wearing a mask while they work. Senators Hassan and Murkowski raised these concerns directly with CDC Director Rochelle Walensky during a recent hearing, and their letter further pushes for immediate action.
The full letter can be read here and below.
Dear Director Walensky and Admiral Schultz:
On May 13, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued updated COVID-19 guidance related mask wearing stating that fully vaccinated people can resume many pre-pandemic activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing.1 This guidance is welcomed news, and a clear confirmation that the COVID-19 vaccines authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are safe and effective at preventing COVID-19, especially cases that lead to severe illness and death. We are deeply grateful for the work conducted by CDC, the National Institutes of Health, and the larger scientific and public health communities that enabled us to reach this critical milestone.
Under the new guidance, CDC notes that all travelers will still be required to wear a mask on all planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation, and in transportation hubs such as airports and train and bus stations. We recognize the importance of continued mask-wearing for travelers throughout the country, and strongly urge all Americans to abide by the latest COVID-19 safety recommendations, as well as other federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations related to mask-wearing and social distancing, including those in local businesses and workplaces.
However, we encourage the CDC – in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard (Coast Guard) – to revisit mask-wearing requirements specific to workers in the commercial fishing industry. In response to the CDC guidance published on May 13, 2021, the commercial fishing community has expressed confusion about the implementation of the new guidance on fishing vessels that are operating with all fully vaccinated staff. In response, we sought clarification from the Coast Guard about whether fully vaccinated commercial fishing crew are still required to wear masks. On May 14, 2021, Coast Guard personnel confirmed that the agency would need to wait for changes to the CDC Mask Order and associated CDC guidance for conveyances and transportation hubs before it could revise its Marine Safety Information Bulletin and address requirements for fishing vessels.
The CDC Mask Order issued on January 29, 2021 requires that persons operating or traveling on conveyances must wear masks “for the duration of travel.”3 On February 1, 2021, the Coast Guard issued a Marine Safety Information Bulletin in response to the CDC order.4 The Bulletin notes that the Executive Order applied to all “‘public maritime vessels, including ferries’ to mitigate the risk of spreading COVID-19,” and further requires that “all persons travelling on all commercial vessels to wear a mask.”
Many fishing vessel operators were therefore understandably dismayed to learn that the most recent CDC guidance does not loosen restrictions for fishing vessels that are staffed by fully vaccinated persons and are not passenger-carrying vessels as defined under 42 CFR 70.1. It is worth noting that wearing a mask on a fishing vessel may increase safety risks for operators and crew. Fishing vessels frequently use loud motors or machinery that can make it difficult for crew members to hear one another, so they may rely on lip-reading to improve communication and work together safely. Masks are also frequently wet from sea spray, which can make it more difficult to breathe. This is a condition that the CDC has generally recognized is problematic. Despite these facts, fishermen have continued to abide by the order and guidance to address the public health threat posed by COVID-19.
We urge the CDC and the Coast Guard to work swiftly together to reconsider their guidance as it applies to commercial fishing vessels in order to promote the safe operation of fishing vessels and safety of the crew.
February 19, 2021 — In a rare joint statement, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have firmly stated that there is “no credible evidence” that COVID-19 can be transmitted from food or food packaging.
The statement comes over a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, and months after very early studies indicated that COVID-19 might be able to travel on food. China has been one country that has taken the potential threat seriously, with customs slowdowns for heightened inspections of seafood and complete import closures from COVID-19 impacted countries. The country even falsely linked imported salmon to COVID-19 after an outbreak was linked to the Xinfadi market in Beijing, spooking seafood shoppers.
February 18, 2021 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:
Today the leadership of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) all emphasized that food or food packing is not a likely source of COIVD-19 transmission. The rare joint statement said there is “no credible evidence” that the illness is transmitted that way.
“Today’s statement is an example of experts adhering to science and translating that high-level understanding into an important public health message,” said Lisa Weddig Vice President for Regulatory and Technical Affairs at the National Fisheries Institute.
In today’s statement the USDA, FDA and CDC highlighted the safety of the U.S. food supply saying, “consumers should be reassured” that their confidence is based on “overwhelming international scientific consensus.”
“From epidemiologists to biologists, authorities are confident in the safety of the seafood supply and, what’s more, health experts cite seafood’s role in supporting a healthy immune system,” said Weddig.
The groups noted that a recent opinion from the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods said, “despite the billions of meals and food packages handled since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, to date there has not been any evidence that food, food packaging or food handling is a source or important transmission route for [the disease.]”.
NFI encourages companies and countries to ensure their actions and policies are based on this scientific fact.
February 17, 2021 — Fishermen must wear masks while they are underway, even while sleeping, and the Coast Guard intends to enforce it.
That’s an edict issued as a public health emergency by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a Marine Safety Bulletin issued on Feb. 1. It requires the wearing of masks at all times in U.S. waters on all commercial vessels “when boarding, disembarking, and for the duration of travel” to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The action states that “conveyance operators traveling into or within the U.S. may transport only persons wearing masks and must use best efforts to ensure that masks are worn.”
Best efforts include allowing entry to a vessel only to those who wear masks, instructing persons that failure to comply constitutes a violation of federal law, and removing any person who refuses to comply. Exemptions apply to children under 2 years old, a person with a disability who cannot safely wear a mask or a person for whom wearing a mask would create a risk to workplace health, safety or job duty, or if an operator is “the sole occupant of the vehicle.”
December 28, 2020 — A group of New Jersey fishing businesses and organizations sent a letter to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy this month urging him to keep the seafood industry’s workers as a high-priority group for COVID-19 vaccinations.
Seafood employees, like others in the food processing industry, are considered essential workers. According to guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that group falls in Phase 1b, along with public transit employees, first responders as well as teachers and other school staff.
Those federal guidelines, though, stand just as a recommendation as the states will be making the call on who gets priority. New Jersey’s COVID-19 vaccination plan calls for defining the essential workers group in early 2021.
The state says it plans to follow the CDC recommendations, but it’s expected there will be more intended recipients than available vaccines. With that anticipated shortage, officials believe they’ll need to prioritize within the Phase 1b grouping.
December 23, 2020 — As the distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines continues across the United States, discussions are now taking place to determine the groups that should receive the vaccine after nursing home residents and staff and essential health care workers. Food processing businesses, including those in the seafood industry, are urging leaders in their respective states to keep them toward the front of the line.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines, food and agricultural workers fall into Phase 1b of the essential workers category, along with first responders, grocery store workers, public transit workers, and those in education.
December 2, 2020 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:
Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices announced their recommendations for the prioritized allocation of initial supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The National Fisheries Institute recognizes the hard work being done by these public health professionals and commends them on their decision to provide the vital vaccine initially to healthcare workers.
Further, we applaud the Committee’s recognition that those harvesting our fish and processing and distributing our seafood are essential and will be considered in the next phase of vaccine distribution.
Frontline seafood workers should rightfully be near the front of the line for vaccines. All Americans depend on these women and men to harvest and process healthy foods. As the federal agencies and state Governors develop their vaccine plans, they should protect those who labor to feed America’s families during this pandemic. Governments need to move from calling these folks heroes to protecting them with vaccines.
October 13, 2020 — Sharks have made international news after Shark Allies, estimated that half a million deep-sea sharks are needed to extract enough squalene for Covid-19 vaccines. The non-profit organization recently came out with the petition to “stop using sharks in a coronavirus vaccine” and use more sustainably sourced alternatives.
But what exactly is ‘squalene’ and why is it possibly in human medicine? Well, first you need to look at basic shark anatomy. Sharks have no swim bladder, unlike bony fish, to help with buoyancy. So, they rely on the lift from their pectoral (side) fins and their large livers that are saturated with oil to maintain their buoyancy in water. Some sharks have a high content of the component squalene (C₃₀H₅₀) in their liver, a highly unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), squalene has been/is being used as a “bactericide, an intermediate in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, organic colouring matter, rubber, chemicals, aromatics, in finishing natural and artificial silk and surface active agents.” Nowadays, squalene is also being used in some adjuvants — common ingredients in vaccines that help create a stronger immune response. What is an adjuvant and why is it added to a vaccine? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines an adjuvant as “an ingredient used in some vaccines that helps create a stronger immune response in people receiving the vaccine.” In other words, adjuvants help vaccines work better by helping the body produce an immune response strong enough to protect the person from the disease they are being vaccinated against. The CDC website says that MF59 is a common adjuvant that contains shark-derived squalene. It’s currently found in the Fluad influenza vaccine, licensed for adults 65 or older, and has been used in USA flu vaccines since 2016 with an “excellent safety record.” According to the World Health Organization (WHO), since 1997 a dose of the influenza vaccine (such as FLUAD or Chiron) contains about 10 megagrams of squalene “to make the vaccine more immunogenic.”