Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association to speak on House panel at 1 p.m. today on effects of COVID-19 on U.S. Fisheries.

May 18, 2020 (Brunswick, ME) - Ben Martens, executive director of the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association, will participate as a panelist today speaking before the House Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.

This virtual bipartisan forum will focus on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. fisheries. The event will take place over Zoom and be live streamed to social media.
 
Watch on YouTube.
 
"Fishermen are an undervalued part of the food system and they are being treated as such. We must step up now, as a nation, to invest in our fishermen, in our working waterfronts, and in our food,” said Martens.
 
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the collapse of the seafood industry throughout the United States and the world. It has affected Maine’s commercial fishing businesses, from the fishermen themselves to the bait, gear, fuel, and storage businesses who rely on them. Maine fishermen, like many small business owners in Maine, are concerned about the potentially disastrous impacts of the pandemic to their livelihood and well-being, and to the future of Maine’s fisheries

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The Maine Coast Fishermen's Association (MCFA) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2006 and led by commercial fishermen who, as stewards of the marine ecosystem, promote and advocate for the restoration of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem while balancing the needs of Maine’s iconic fishermen and fishing communities. MCFA works to provide a voice for fishing communities, strengthen the health of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem, and help maintain the viability of fishing businesses through advocacy, education, outreach, and collaborative research projects.

CONTACT:
Ben Martens, (207) 619-1755      
ben@mainecoastfishermen.org