Saving Seafood

FLORIDA: Innovative technologies could help revive Florida’s storied oyster fishery

September 10, 2024 — A group of experts from the University of Florida have authored a report proposing the use of innovative technology that could help revive Florida’s once-prolific Apalachicola Bay oyster fishery.

Apalachicola Bay, located in northwest Florida in the Gulf of Mexico, was long the source of most of the oysters sold in the southeast U.S. state and comprised about 10 percent of those sold across the entire country. The bay’s oysters were famous for their quality and taste and an economic driver in the region, producing USD 6.6 million (EUR 6 million) worth of sales in 2011.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA Survey Measures COVID Impacts on Fishing Industry

February 22, 2021 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is partnering with the University of Florida to launch a phone survey to measure the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the region’s commercial and for-hire fishing industry.

The project aims to specifically measure economic impacts on individual businesses over the 2020 calendar year, said NOAA.

The study is a follow-up to a survey conducted in summer 2020 that measured the impacts of the first half of the year.

According to that year’s survey, the regional fishing industry suffered broad declines.

The results of that survey can be found here.

Read the full story at CapeCod.com

REMINDER: NOAA Fisheries Phone Survey Ongoing

February 18, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries and the University of Florida launched a phone survey in January to continue assessing the impact of COVID-19 on commercial/for-hire fishing operations, and on seafood dealers and processors. Thank you to those of you that have already responded. A second round of phone calls began on February 12th.

This survey will assist us in assessing  economic impacts on individual businesses over the entire 2020 calendar year. It is a follow-up to a survey conducted during July/August 2020 on impacts for the first half of the year. The first reports using results from last summer’s survey as well as other data can be found here.

We are using this multi-region survey to inform NOAA Fisheries, the Department of Commerce, Congress, fishery management councils, state fishery managers, and stakeholders about the economic and social impacts of Covid-19 on the fishing industry.

If You Get a Call

Phone survey participants were randomly selected to participate. If you were selected, you will receive a phone call from the University of Florida with a 352 area code. Your response is very important to the success of this survey. It will take less than 10 minutes, and the information you provide is strictly confidential.

For more information on the phone survey, see this bulletin from NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Region.

Read the full release here

REMINDER: NOAA Fisheries reaches out to fishermen by phone; conducting surveys for scientists to assess impacts on commercial/for-hire fishing operations and seafood dealers/processors related to COVID-19

February 17, 2021 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

KEY MESSAGE:

NOAA Fisheries and our partner, the University of Florida, are teaming up on a phone survey to assess the impact of COVID-19 on commercial/for-hire fishing operations and on seafood dealers and processors. The phone survey is a follow-up to an earlier on-line survey conducted in July and August on economic impacts for the first half of 2020. The upcoming survey will assist us in assessing economic impacts over the entire calendar year.

Survey participants were randomly selected to participate. If you receive a phone call from the University of Florida with a 352 area code, your response is very important to the success of this survey. It will take less than 10 minutes, and the information you provide is strictly confidential.

PURPOSE OF THE SURVEY:

We are using this multi-region survey to inform NOAA Fisheries, the Department of Commerce, Congress, fishery management councils, state fishery managers, and stakeholders about the economic and social impacts that the recent economic downturn has had on the fishing industry.

NOAA Fisheries will draft reports for the public detailing the revenue losses and recovery of fishing-dependent businesses over the past year. Here is a look at what we have already been able to capture and release in a series of snapshot reports. You helped make this information available to us. Thank you!

MORE INFORMATION:

If you have further questions regarding the survey please contact:

Mike Jepson in the Gulf of Mexico Region, Michael.Jepson@noaa.gov

Matt McPherson in the South Atlantic Region, Matthew.McPherson@noaa.gov

REMINDER: NOAA Fisheries reaches out to fishermen by phone; conducting surveys for scientists to assess impacts on commercial/for-hire fishing operations and seafood dealers/processors related to COVID-19

February 16, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

KEY MESSAGE:

NOAA Fisheries and our partner, the University of Florida, are teaming up on a phone survey to assess the impact of COVID-19 on commercial/for-hire fishing operations and on seafood dealers and processors. The phone survey is a follow-up to an earlier on-line survey conducted in July and August on economic impacts for the first half of 2020. The upcoming survey will assist us in assessing economic impacts over the entire calendar year.

Survey participants were randomly selected to participate. If you receive a phone call from the University of Florida with a 352 area code, your response is very important to the success of this survey. It will take less than 10 minutes, and the information you provide is strictly confidential.

URPOSE OF THE SURVEY:

We are using this multi-region survey to inform NOAA Fisheries, the Department of Commerce, Congress, fishery management councils, state fishery managers, and stakeholders about the economic and social impacts that the recent economic downturn has had on the fishing industry.

NOAA Fisheries will draft reports for the public detailing the revenue losses and recovery of fishing-dependent businesses over the past year. Here is a look at what we have already been able to capture and release in a series of snapshot reports. You helped make this information available to us.

Read the full release here

Follow-up survey of fishermen and covid-19 impact begins

January 25, 2021 — The National Marine Fisheries Service and the University of Florida are conducting a second national telephone survey of fishermen, seafood dealers and processor to assess the effects of covid-19 during the second half of 2020.

A report on findings from the first survey reported the pandemic crushed industry revenues by a combined 29 percent from March into July, as the seafood industry reeled from U.S. restaurant closures and export markets drying up.

University of Florida researchers are working with NMFS on the project, and organizers urge fishermen to be on the lookout for calls coming to their phones from the Florida 352 area code.

“Phone survey participants were selected using carefully designed random sample. If you were selected, you will receive a phone call from the University of Florida with a 352 area code,” according to a statement Friday from NMFS. “Your response is very important to the success of this survey. It will take less than 10 minutes, and the information you provide is strictly confidential.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Fishing Business Phone Survey Underway

January 22, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries and the University of Florida are teaming up on a phone survey to continue assessing the impact of COVID-19 on commercial/for-hire fishing operations, and on seafood dealers and processors.

Phone survey participants were selected using carefully designed random sample. If you were selected, you will receive a phone call from the University of Florida with a 352 area code. Your response is very important to the success of this survey. It will take less than 10 minutes, and the information you provide is strictly confidential.

The phone survey is a follow-up to a survey conducted during July/August 2020 on economic impacts for the first half of 2020.  The upcoming survey will assist us in assessing  impacts on individual businesses over the entire calendar year.

The first reports using results from last summer’s survey as well as other data can be found here.

For more information on the phone survey, see this bulletin from NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Region.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries reaches out to fishermen by phone; conducting surveys for scientists to assess impacts on commercial/for-hire fishing operations and seafood dealers/processors related to COVID-19

January 22, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

KEY MESSAGE:

NOAA Fisheries and our partner, the University of Florida, are teaming up on a phone survey to assess the impact of COVID-19 on commercial/for-hire fishing operations and on seafood dealers and processors. The phone survey is a follow-up to an earlier on-line survey conducted in July and August on economic impacts for the first half of 2020. The upcoming survey will assist us in assessing economic impacts over the entire calendar year.

Survey participants were randomly selected to participate. If you receive a phone call from the University of Florida with a 352 area code, your response is very important to the success of this survey. It will take less than 10 minutes, and the information you provide is strictly confidential.

PURPOSE OF THE SURVEY:

We are using this multi-region survey to inform NOAA Fisheries, the Department of Commerce, Congress, fishery management councils, state fishery managers, and stakeholders about the economic and social impacts that the recent economic downturn has had on the fishing industry.

NOAA Fisheries will draft reports for the public detailing the revenue losses and recovery of fishing-dependent businesses over the past year. Here is a look at what we have already been able to capture and release in a series of snapshot reports. You helped make this information available to us.

Read the full release here

Reminder: Complete the COVID-19 Economic Survey

July 20, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

If you received a survey in the mail from NOAA Fisheries and our partner, the University of Florida, please complete it. The results will help us assess  the impact of COVID-19 on commercial/for-hire fishing operations and on seafood dealers and processors.

Survey participants were selected as part of a carefully designed random sample. If you received a letter, your response is very important to the success of this survey. It will take less than 6 minutes, and the information you provide is strictly confidential.

We are using this multi-region survey to inform NOAA Fisheries, the Department of Commerce, Congress, fishery management councils, state fishery managers, and stakeholders about the economic and social impacts that the recent economic downturn has had on the fishing industry.

NOAA Fisheries will draft reports for the public detailing the revenue losses and recovery of fishing-dependent businesses over the past few months.

If you have further questions regarding the survey please contact Eric Thunberg.

Reminder: NOAA Fisheries needs completed surveys to enable scientists to assess COVID-19 impacts on commercial/for-hire fishing operations and seafood dealers/processors

July 14, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

If you received a survey from NOAA Fisheries and partner, the University of Florida, we request you take the time to complete it.  The survey takes less than 6 minutes and the information you provide is strictly confidential.  Survey participants were selected as part of a carefully designed random sample, so your response (if you received a letter) is very important to the success of this survey.

This multi-region survey will be used to inform NOAA Fisheries, the Department of Commerce, Congress, Fishery Management Councils, state fishery managers, and stakeholders about the economic and social impacts that the recent economic downturn has had on the fishing industry. NOAA Fisheries will draft reports for the public detailing the revenue losses and recovery of fishing-dependent businesses over the past few months.

The survey information would have arrived by mail in a University of Florida envelope directing you to a website and contains a login code that is unique to each individual. Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete the survey.

If you have further questions regarding the survey please contact: