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Commercial Fishing Industry Tells Oregon Lawmakers Of Economic Hardships

Hugh Link
/
Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission

The coronavirus has hit Oregon’s commercial fishing industry hard. That was the message to state lawmakers during a recent meeting of the House Interim Committee on Natural Resources.

Anthony Dal Ponte is with Pacific Seafood, which is based in Clackamas and has several facilities on the Oregon coast. He said the company had to lay off more than 500 employees after their restaurant and hospitality industry markets dried up virtually overnight.

“Those create extreme challenges for us to be able to operate, and as we begin to re-open, we don’t see that turning back on like a light switch,” he said.

The industry has also had to adjust to keeping workers safe from the virus. A seafood plant in Astoria closed down for two weeks in May after more than two dozen workers there tested positive for COVID-19.

Chris Lehman has been reporting on Oregon issues since 2006. He joined the KLCC news department in December 2018 and became News Director in March 2023. Chris was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and graduated from Temple University with a degree in journalism. His public broadcasting career includes stops in Louisiana and Illinois. Chris has filed for national programs including “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.”
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