Around New England

Fishermen Getting Hammered By Restaurant Shutdowns

March 28, 2020

About 70 percent of seafood sales in Massachusetts go to restaurants, which means fishermen are hurting from the state’s closure of bars and restaurants because of coronavirus.

Prices have plummeted along with the customer base, particularly for high-end items like lobster and shrimp, according to The Cape Cod Times.

One Chatham restaurant and oyster farm owner told The Cape Cod Times he was on track for his best ever late winter and spring – until every purchase order he had got cancelled.

Fishermen are counting on the $300 million of aid to the fishing industry contained in the $2 trillion coronavirus bailout bill passed by Congress this past week, several in the industry told The Cape Cod Times.

They are also looking for relief from government rules.

One fisherman said he’d like to see towns reduce fees for docks and slips. Others want to see their federal quotas limiting fishing days increased next year, since there are so many days they are losing now, since there are so many fewer buyers available to them.