Impacts of COVID-19 on U.S. seafood availability. (Special Issue: COVID-19 impacts on selected commodities.)

Seafood is the food group with the highest share traded, and the U.S. is the world's largest seafood importer, importing 79% of the seafood consumed. Hence, a study examining the impacts of the measures to contain COVID-19 on U.S. seafood imports will not only show how U.S. seafood availability has been affected, but will also give strong indications of how resiliently the global seafood markets have worked through the pandemic. We find that U.S. imports of seafood actually increased in 2020 and 2021, suggesting supply chains were able to adapt to potential disruptions. Moreover, for the 14 largest product forms imported to the U.S., there are no strong price movements. Given that there is a global market for most species groups, this adaption also suggests that the markets have worked quite well beyond the U.S. Hence, while there have undoubtedly been market shocks associated with the COVID-19 measures such as the reduction in demand from the restaurant sector and the increased sales in the retail sector, opportunities seem to balance out challenges, and the supply chains for seafood to the U.S. have been highly resilient.

Research on the development status and high quality development mode of recreational fishery in China

First, this paper defines the definition and classification of recreational fishery. Second, the paper analyzes the present situation of recreational fishery from production scale, growth rate, proportion of annual output value of fishery and industrial structure, then discusses the development opportunities of recreational fishery in terms of policy, economy, culture and technology. Third, the paper analyzes the problem of recreational fishery in terms of the talent, the ability to bear risk, the influence of COVID-19. Finally, the paper discusses the high quality development mode of recreational fishery in China against the background of industrial integration. The research showed:the production scale of recreational fishery increased, the growth rate of recreational fishery declined but higher than the annual output growth rate of the total annual output of the fishery, proportion of annual output value of fishery increased steadily, and the structure of recreational fishery developed steadily, guided by recreational fishing and collecting industry and tourism-oriented recreational fishery, supplemented by fishing tackle, bait ornamental fish, fishery medicine, aquatic equipment, other related industries, ornamental fish industry developed rapidly. At present, recreational fisheries has a series of opportunities such as self-advantages, government policy support, good external economic environment and cultural environment, good facilities and technology. At the same time, recreational fishery facing a series of challenges such as shortage of talents, the ability to bear risk is limited and the shock of COVID-19. Finally, The paper proposes the three-dimensional mode of recreational fishery developing in high quality based on industrial convergence to promote the long-term, steady and high-quality development of recreational fishery.

General fisheries commission for the Mediterranean. Report of the twelfth session of the scientific advisory committee on aquaculture, Casablanca, Morocco, 7-9 June 2022

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Aquaculture (CAQ) of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) held its twelfth session in hybrid mode, in Casablanca, Morocco and online from 7-9 June 2022. The session was attended by delegates from 18 contracting parties, three cooperating non-contracting parties, one observer, as well as representatives of the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, the GFCM Secretariat and invited experts. During the session, the Committee reviewed the work carried out during the 2019-2022 intersession, including within the framework of the GFCM 2030 Strategy for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea (GFCM 2030 Strategy) and in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and provided advice on priorities in the field of aquaculture management and research.

Report of the FAO Vigo dialogue on social responsibility in the fisheries and aquaculture value chains - addressing current problems triggered by COVID-19

The 2020 FAO Vigo Dialogue focused on promoting human and labour rights to ensure better social practices along fisheries and aquaculture value chains, including emphasizing social problems associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The main issues and challenges that the sector is facing were discussed and identified. The Dialogue raised awareness of the situation faced by fish workers and the industry due to the pandemic, and allowed FAO to collaborate with relevant stakeholders by providing a clear outline of the significant challenges on social issues in fisheries and aquaculture value chains.

General fisheries commission for the Mediterranean. Report of the twenty-second session of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Fisheries, online, 22-25 June 2021

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Fisheries (SAC) of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) held its twenty-second session online, from 22 to 25 June 2021. The session was attended by delegates from 19 Mediterranean contracting parties, 11 observers, as well as representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Fisheries Division, the GFCM Secretariat and invited experts. The Committee reviewed the work carried out during the 2019-2021 intersession, including within the framework of the mid-term strategy (2017-2020) towards the sustainability of Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries and in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and provided advice on status of priority stocks and ecosystems and on potential management measures addressing key fisheries and vulnerable species in the Mediterranean. In line with the subregional approach, the Committee formulated advice focusing on: (i) small pelagic and priority demersal fisheries in the Adriatic Sea;(ii) common dolphinfish and blackspot seabream fisheries in the western Mediterranean;(iii) small pelagic and bottom trawl fisheries exploiting demersal stocks, particularly European hake, in the central Mediterranean;(iv) deep-water red shrimp fisheries in the eastern-central Mediterranean, including their interactions with vulnerable marine ecosystems;and (v) round sardinella in the eastern Mediterranean. The Committee also agreed on the technical soundness of three FRA proposals for the Bari Canyon, the Ebro Delta margin and the Palmahim Disturbance, to be submitted to the Commission. At the regional level, the Committee provided advice on the following: (i) fishing technology and bycatch, including minimal technical specifications for bottom-trawl nets and the need for targeted pilot projects to investigate possible mitigation measures;(ii) data call for the database on sensitive benthic habitats and species and other effective area-based conservation measures for the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems and essential fish habitats;and (iii) advances in the adaptation strategy for climate change. Furthermore, the Committee discussed additional work in support of the GFCM, namely the implementation of the Regional Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, dedicated research programmes as well as other activities to enhance fisheries management in the region. Finally, the Committee agreed upon its work plan for 2021-2023.

Reviewing the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on the Kenyan aquaculture sector and future adaptive strategies

For many Kenyans, the aquaculture business provides a vital source of food and work. However, information on Kenya's aquaculture sector's resilience in the face of emerging global shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic requires additional examination. Prior to the epidemic, Kenya's aquaculture industry had grown from a tiny participant to a critical component of the country's fish food system, with fish and fisheries products becoming the most extensively traded food commodity in Kenyan market places. However, as indicated in the review, the aquaculture value chain has not been scrutinised since the onset of COVID-19. Lockdowns enacted during the pandemic had a significant influence on access to aquaculture inputs, fish commerce, and the socio-economic livelihoods of stakeholders and players in Kenya's aquaculture value chain. Thus, initial and long-term adaptive strategies, particularly those implemented by governments, could help to the development of COVID-19 specific and generic resilience to numerous shocks and stressors among stakeholders and players involved in the country's aquaculture industry. Some of the measures include a government incentive package to help the fisheries and aquaculture sectors recover, improve farming operations, and gain market trust, as well as the adoption of new methods to reduce labor intensity, such as intelligent sensors, camera systems, and automated or remotely controlled monitoring/feeding strategies. Such strategies and policies can protect the sector from future shocks triggered by pandemics and other unforeseen circumstances.

Restocking of small water bodies for a post COVID recovery and growth of fisheries and aquaculture production: socioeconomic implications. (Special Issue: Technology and innovation for a post COVID recovery and growth: the contribution of industry and academia.)

Restocking of fish in Small Water Bodies (SWBs) is one of the technologies that can be used to enhance fish-food production for post Covid recovery and growth in food security, and national development. The current study aimed at assessing the socioeconomic impact and stock performance of restocked Nile tilapia fingerlings in SWBs in 15 counties in the Western and Central regions where the Aquaculture Business Development Programme (ABDP) is implemented. The study employed both primary and secondary data from socioeconomics, environmental characteristics and fisheries and aquaculture aspects. There was no restocked dam with a low (<1.66) socioeconomic impact, indicating the potential for restocking. The majority (n = 27;79%) of the restocked SWBs had a moderate (1.66-2.33) impact, owing to the inherent constraints of adoptability by the local community. Twenty one percent (n = 7;21%) of the SWBs had a high (2.34-3.00) impact and with better environmental conditions. The average condition factor (K) of tilapia in restocked SWBs was 1.24 +or- 0.53 SD, suggesting excellent fish growth condition. Notably, restocking the SWBs could benefit riparian fishing communities by improving their livelihoods and providing food and nutritional security. Given the limited exploitation of fish in most SWBs in the developing countries, additional community awareness and capacity building interventions are needed to enhance optimal use of SWBs in post Covid era.

Social fish-tancing in Wisconsin: the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on statewide license sales and fishing effort in northern inland lakes

The first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was associated with an "anthropause" in many industries, initially reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other negative anthropogenic influences. However, outdoor recreation has exploded in popularity in response to closures of indoor recreation options, increased free time, and/or increased levels of stress. We tested for the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sale of fishing licenses in Wisconsin and on vehicle counts that were observed at public lake access points in Vilas County, Wisconsin, in 2020. In the summer of 2020, fishing license sales in Wisconsin, USA, increased, particularly among first-time license purchasers for whom cumulative sales in 2020 increased by 71% and 35% compared with the previous 5-year average for Wisconsin residents and nonresidents, respectively. Changes in the vehicle counts at lake access points in the summer of 2020 varied considerably by lake. However, lakes with greater proportions of public shoreline experienced pandemic-associated increases in lake visitors. Our results suggest that the distribution of recreational fishing effort in Wisconsin changed during the pandemic, potentially placing additional harvest pressures on hot spot inland lakes.

The fishery and aquaculture sectors affected by the COVID-19 crisis in the Maghreb

According to five national reports prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Subregional Office for North Africa, the Maghreb fishery and aquaculture sectors experienced a significant decline in activity in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The reports are based on a survey conducted in four Maghreb countries: Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia, which all experienced a drop in production and income in 2020. The reports also showed that consumption shifted towards canned, frozen and processed fish at the expense of fresh products, especially at the beginning of the pandemic. This consumer behaviour impacted fish demand and prices.

Impacts of COVID-19 on fishing villages and related adaptation strategies

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan raised its alert level to Level 3 in May 2021 and began to strengthen various pandemic prevention measures, which directly affected economic activities and people's lives. The fishery industry and fishing villages have also been impacted. This study investigated fishing villages in Taiwan, and conducted a literature review, focus groups, and in-depth interviews to explore the situations of the fishing villages under the impacts of COVID-19 in Taiwan. Moreover, it discussed the post-pandemic adaptation strategies to help the fishing villages deal with the uncertainty caused by the pandemic and sustainable development. The research results show that due to the pandemic prevention measures, the fishing villages reduced community operations, maintained safe social distancing, implemented community disinfection and cleaning, reduced cross-community movement, suspended various educational programs, all of which directly affected the community organization, production, tourism, and ecological environment of the fishing villages. During the new normal period before the pandemic ceases to spread, the operational models of fishing villages need to incorporate remote resources, Internet marketing, travel planning based on pandemic control, and ecological resources monitoring. At the same time, strengthening the community network of the fishing village residents, reinforcing the cooperation and exchange of experiences among partners of the fishing village, and cultivating the ability and resilience of the fishing villages for continuous operations in the post-pandemic era are important strategies to achieve the sustainable development of fishing villages.

Cluster analysis of marine toll service area to minimize price disparity to inprove the economy of the east Indonesian region in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic

High price disparity is an economic problem that causes the welfare level of the population to be low. The government through the Sea Highway program tries to reduce price disparities through subsidized and scheduled sea transportation to serve several ports in Indonesia, one of which is in the province of Riau Islands. The Strait of Lampa Port is one of the marine transportation nodes which is a stopover point for Sea Toll boats on the T-3 route serving Natuna Regency. This port has the status of a regional feeder port with the hinterland area of Natuna Regency with Ranai as the district capital. This study aims to provide input related to the clustering of the Marine Highway program in Natuna from several perspectives, namely from the potential of regional commodities and infrastructure for Sea Toll services in the Natuna region. The analysis method used is descriptive qualitative and comparative. The results showed that for the cluster of the western region of Indonesian waters, in this case represented by a sample of the T-3 Natuna Islands Sea Toll route service, in terms of supply and demand from the homebase of Tanjung Priok Port, it is sufficiently balanced even though there are several superior commodities in the Natuna archipelago that have not yet optimally distributed, due to the low development and increase in added value of commodities. Based on the sample Sea Toll service route that has been selected for the Western Region of Indonesia, namely the T-3 route for the Natuna Islands region, several criteria that need to be considered in the future regarding the Sea Toll service cluster include regional commodities, Port infrastructure facilities and infrastructure, hinterland transportation facilities and infrastructure, and ship type and capacity.

The repercussions of the corona virus pandemic (COVID-19) on the economic and social conditions of workers in the fish resources sector, as viewed by experts and specialists

This research aimed to identify the repercussions of the corona pandemic on the economic and social conditions of workers in the fish resources sector as viewed by experts and specialists. Field data were collected within the governorates of Aswan and Dakahlia using a personal interview questionnaire during January 2022, for a simple random sample of experts and specialists according to Cochran's equation. Frequencies, percentages, actual range, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, relative weight, and Mann-Whitney test were used to analyze the data and present the results through the SPSS program, the most important results: That the social conditions of workers in the fish sector were more affected by the repercussions of the Corona pandemic compared to the economic conditions, and that the relative importance of the repercussions of the Corona pandemic on the economic and social conditions of workers in the fish sector was of medium importance, according to the opinions of the experts and specialists, and the results also showed that there were no significant differences between the average ranks of the opinions of experts and specialists towards the repercussions of the Corona virus pandemic on the economic and social conditions of workers in the fish resources.

Bioregional mapping in fishing communities: territorial belonging on the coast of northeast Brazil in the face of environmental impacts. (Estudos agrarios criticos e COVID-19: movimentos socioterritoriais e luta pela terra no Brasil.)

The article presents the production of bioregional maps lived and managed in the territory of fishing communities, based on their involvement, knowledge and actions, referring to the impacts of the oil spill in 09 locations on the coast of NE Brazil. Several fishing communities were affected by the oil spill crime that occurred in 2019. Territorial management is constituted, in the event on screen, from actions that aimed to solve problems arising from the impacts on the territory that are described and problematized by the fishing communities themselves that had suffering prolonged over time and space due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The descriptions and problematizations were constituted and systematized from the project "Manchas do Sofrimento" originated from the INCT Amb Tropic II, GT 4.0 Oil Spills. Decolonial and Popular Education references allowed the fabric of this article, whose methodology was based on a qualitative approach, based on the collaborative construction of maps by fishermen and fishermen and a team of researchers and scholars from the Federal University of Bahia. The technique of bioregional mapping, based on citizen science, structures the methodological dimension. As a result, we bring a methodology constituted in an integrative way, in which multiple knowledge enabled the elaboration of maps, which demonstrated the sense of belonging of fishermen and fisherwomen and defense of their territorialities. from the collaborative construction of maps by fishermen and fisherwomen and a team of researchers and scholars from the Federal University of Bahia. The technique of bioregional mapping, based on citizen science, structures the methodological dimension. As a result, we bring a methodology constituted in an integrative way, in which multiple knowledge enabled the elaboration of maps, which demonstrated the sense of belonging of fishermen and fisherwomen and defense of their territorialities. from the collaborative construction of maps by fishermen and fisherwomen and a team of researchers and scholars from the Federal University of Bahia. The technique of bioregional mapping, based on citizen science, structures the methodological dimension. As a result, we bring a methodology constituted in an integrative way, in which multiple knowledge enabled the elaboration of maps, which demonstrated the sense of belonging of fishermen and fisherwomen and defense of their territorialities.

Special Issue: Genetics and genomics of adaptation. (Special Issue: Genetics and genomics of adaptation.)

This special issue consists of 9 articles on the following topics: population genomics reveals repeated signals of adaptive divergence in the Atlantic salmon of north-eastern Europe;transcriptome wide genotype-phenotype associations in Daphnia in a predation risk environment;the pitfalls and virtues of population genetic summary statistics: Detecting selective sweeps in recent divergences;using gradient Forest to predict climate response and adaptation in Cork oak;variable routes to genomic and host adaptation among coronaviruses;little parallelism in genomic signatures of local adaptation in two sympatric, cryptic sister species;genomic signatures of UV resistance evolution in Escherichia coli depend on the growth phase during exposure;visual and nonvisual opsin genes of sharks and other nonosteichthyan vertebrates: Genomic exploration of underwater photoreception;and microRNA expression variation as a potential molecular mechanism contributing to adaptation to hydrogen sulphide.

Helping Louisiana's shrimp industry during the pandemic

This article reports on the inclusion of wild-caught shrimp in the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) program to help Louisiana's shrimp industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of a quick Sea Grant mobilization, $50 million in cash from USDA was infused into the shrimping industry, and 7.6 million pounds of Louisiana shrimp were taken out of inventory and distributed nationwide.

Agriculture and fisheries support policies in Algeria - a strategic prospective towards sustainable food security 2035

Covid-19 and the Ukrainian crisis have put the question of the "food emergency" back on everyone's agenda. If the need to ensure food security is unanimous in Algeria, this is however not the case for the future orientation of public policies in this area. This work attempts to contribute to this debate through a strategic prospective analysis to 2035 identifying new orientations for policies to support agricultural and fisheries production systems. It demonstrates that it is necessary, in order to better prepare for these "long and short time" challenges, to act now and to go further "than instead of" marginal adjustments. Also, these new policies must accompany "a double paradigm shift" that of the food model and the agricultural and fisheries production systems. The establishment of a cross-cutting food security policy in Algeria therefore appears to be essential to promote and succeed in this new dynamic.

5th EMBRIO International Symposium: Sustainable Development Of Fisheries And Marine Resource Amidst Covid-19 Era And Beyond, 6-7 September 2021

These proceedings contain 67 articles that discuss fish ecology and biology, aquaculture, capture fisheries, marine conservation, management, biology, debris, ecology, bioprospecting, biotechnology, and postharvest.

Using COVID-19 travel bans to precipitate a digital transition in coastal fisheries science

It is reported that the complete cessation of travel due to COVID, which forced an almost total shift to online delivery of information between the Pacific Community (SPC) and its member countries, has created the conditions for coastal fisheries departments to embrace the efficiencies of using e-data systems to collect, store, analyse and report on the status of their fisheries. Accordingly, staff from the Coastal Fisheries Science and Data units within SPC's Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems (FAME) Division have invested significant time and resources to develop an e-data system that has evolved based on feedback from regional meetings and workshops. The implementation and results of the e-data platform are discussed, as well as the next steps in the digital transition of coastal fisheries monitoring in the region.

An assessment of socioeconomic impacts due to COVID-19 on coastal fisheries in Tonga

This article presents the main findings and recommendations of a socioeconomic assessment of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Tonga's coastal fisheries sector which was conducted by means of a national survey targeting households that benefit from subsistence and artisanal fishing and focus group discussions targeting registered commercial small-scale fishers. The assessment aimed to (1) better understand the effects of COVID-19 on coastal small-scale fishers and fishing households;(2) examine how they have coped and recovered from the effects of COVID-19;and (3) identify the types of support that they would find helpful to cope with and recover from the effects of COVID-19, as well as future crises.

Comparative study of the effects of COVID-19 on the activities of fishermen in two fisheries in Burkina Faso

The artisanal fishery in Burkina Faso, already fragile, has been severely affected by government measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. Fishermen were the first actors to feel the impact of the crisis. This study was undertaken to assess the impact of the pandemic on their activities in two fisheries in Burkina Faso. To this end, a survey was conducted in the Samendeni and Sourou fisheries. A total of 86 fishermen were interviewed. The variables collected were: unemployment rate, reduction in fishing time, variation in fish prices, loss of income, inaccessibility of fishing equipment. The results reveal that 31.4% of the fishermen were unemployed, of which 41.2% were from Samendeni and 17.1% from Sourou. A reduction in fishing time of 1 to 6 months was observed in 53.49%. The perception of the fishermen on the catches shows that 2.32% have made gains in catches, 27.91% have not noticed a variation in their catches and 69.77% have noted a decrease in the quantities caught. They lost an average of 30.3% and 22.16% of their income in Samendeni and Sourou respectively. This study revealed the difficulties experienced by fishermen during the restrictive measures to curb COVID-19.