Current:Home > ScamsMaine fishermen caught more fish in 2023, thanks to a hunger relief program and COVID funds-InfoLens
Maine fishermen caught more fish in 2023, thanks to a hunger relief program and COVID funds
View Date:2024-12-23 14:28:16
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine fishermen bucked yearslong, industrywide trends last year and caught more fish, a development regulators and industry members said shows the impact of COVID-19 relief funds.
Maine has long been a leader in catching groundfish, which are bottom-dwelling species of fish such as cod and flounder that are often used in seafood staples such as fish and chips. The New England groundfishing industry has been in decline for decades due in part to past overfishing of key species and difficulty rebuilding those stocks.
But Maine’s groundfishermen had a stronger year than most in 2023, according to state data released earlier this month. The catch of haddock more than doubled to more than 500,000 pounds (226,796 kilograms), and the catches of Atlantic cod, witch flounder and Atlantic halibut were all up significantly.
The increase in catch, as well as a more stable price, reflects investments the state made in critical infrastructure such as the Portland Fish Exchange, an auction house, said Patrick Keliher, the commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources. The state received COVID-19 relief funds via the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for that work and other improvements, he said.
Federal money also supported the Fishermen Feeding Mainers program, which buys fish to support food banks and schools.
“It’s important work and a positive story; fishermen were able to keep working, critical infrastructure has been maintained, and fresh, healthy Maine seafood went to schools and families in need,” Keliher said in a statement.
Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, an industry nonprofit group, launched the Fishermen Feeding Mainers program in part to help the groundfish industry survive the COVID-19 pandemic. The program began with a goal of donating 100,000 meals and is now over 1.3 million, said Ben Martens, executive director of the association.
The success of the program has helped buoy the groundfish industry through a challenging time, Martens said.
“What we have been able to do is provide a little bit of stability on the market side with Fishermen Feeding Mainers,” Martens said. “We are connecting these fishermen and these fish into our food system.”
The long-term trends for the American groundfish industry are still dire. The nationwide catch of Atlantic cod has fallen from more than 28 million pounds (12.7 million kilograms) in 2002 to just over a million pounds (453,592 kilograms) in 2022.
The industry must contend with warming oceans, changing ecosystems, tight fishing quotas and foreign competition in the marketplace. As American catch of cod and haddock have fallen, imports from countries such as Iceland and Norway have become more common in U.S. fish markets.
veryGood! (75)
Related
- A crowd of strangers brought 613 cakes and then set out to eat them
- How 1992 Dream Team shaped Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol and Tony Parker on way to Hall of Fame
- Missing Arizona man found wounded with 2 dead bodies, but his father remains missing
- Wisconsin judge allows civil case against fake Trump electors to proceed
- Japan to resume V-22 flights after inquiry finds pilot error caused accident
- North Carolina woman wins $4 million in new scratch-off lottery game
- Jason Momoa 'devastated' by Maui wildfires; Oprah Winfrey hands out supplies
- Two men, woman die trying to rescue dog from cistern in Texas corn field
- The Daily Money: All about 'Doge.'
- James Williams: The Crypto Visionary's Journey to Pioneering Digital Currency Investment
Ranking
- Dick Van Dyke says he 'fortunately' won't be around for Trump's second presidency
- Disney is raising prices on ad-free Disney+, Hulu — and plans a crackdown on password sharing
- AP-Week in Pictures: Aug. 3 - Aug. 10, 2023
- Photos: 'Whole town went and dissolved into ashes,' Hawaii lieutenant governor says
- Jennifer Hudson, Kylie Minogue and Billy Porter to perform at Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
- Mississippi Supreme Court won’t remove Brett Favre from lawsuit in welfare fraud case
- Who Is Taylor Russell? Meet the Actress Sparking Romance Rumors With Harry Styles
- Viola Davis Has an Entirely Charming Love Story That You Should Know
Recommendation
-
Where you retire could affect your tax bill. Here's how.
-
How to help or donate in response to the deadly wildfire in Maui
-
Kylie Jenner Is Rising and Shining in Bikini Beach Photos While Celebrating 26th Birthday
-
To the moon and back: Astronauts get 1st look at Artemis II craft ahead of lunar mission
-
Insurance magnate pleads guilty as government describes $2B scheme
-
Writers Guild of America to resume negotiations with studios amid ongoing writers strike
-
Target recalls more than 2 million scented candles after reports of glass shattering during use
-
Video shows suspects steal $300,000 worth of designer goods in 'flash mob burglary'