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USDA’s $52M purchase a bountiful catch for seafood industry

Rows of frozen fish.
Oregon Dept. of Agriculture
/
Flickr.com
An ice-packed shipment of fish.

The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture is buying $52 million worth of seafood.

U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley’s office made the announcement. The Oregon Democrat has worked with other congressional delegates to support the USDA’s inclusion of the region’s seafood sector in critical federal purchasing programs.

Lori Steele of the West Coast Seafood Processors Association said this is welcome news as many in the industry are facing challenges.

“It’s certainly been one thing after the other,” she told KLCC. “We are definitely seeing an upturn since the pandemic, but we have faced a whole new set of challenges, with supply chain issues and our export markets. So that’s where this purchase really comes in to help us and provide some relief.”

Fishing boats at dock.
Brian Bull
/
KLCC
Fishing vessels in Newport, Oregon.

Steele added that disruptions like the war in Ukraine have hurt markets for Pacific hake and whiting, while the European Union’s continued tariffs on pink shrimp have hindered efforts to get shipments out to Europe. She expressed gratitude to Sen. Merkley and other members of the Pacific Northwest’s congressional delegation for encouraging the USDA purchase.

The purchases will be made under a 1935 law that supports consumption of the U.S. agricultural and fishing sectors, by channeling it into domestic food assistance programs.

Copyright 2023, KLCC.

Brian Bull is an assistant professor of journalism at the University of Oregon, and remains a contributor to the KLCC news department. He began working with KLCC in June 2016.   In his 27+ years as a public media journalist, he's worked at NPR, Twin Cities Public Television, South Dakota Public Broadcasting, Wisconsin Public Radio, and ideastream in Cleveland. His reporting has netted dozens of accolades, including four national Edward R. Murrow Awards (22 regional),  the Ohio Associated Press' Best Reporter Award, Best Radio Reporter from  the Native American Journalists Association, and the PRNDI/NEFE Award for Excellence in Consumer Finance Reporting.
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