The seafood market and fishing industry have been a major part of life all across the world for years, employing millions of people across thousands of different companies and groups. But the impact of COVID-19 has not gone unnoticed, especially not by the fishers themselves.
Supply and Demand
Even without the disrupted supply chains of the pandemic, demand has fallen drastically. Very few people can buy fish regularly, and smaller-scale fishermen may find themselves working all day with no customers to actually purchase their goods.
With occasional lockdowns and location-specific curfews making it harder and harder to actually operate around other people, fishing has had to reduce in scale. While large-scale fisheries can maintain their supply with cold storage, smaller companies are not so lucky.
It is almost impossible to estimate how many fishing businesses have struggled – or even closed down – as a result of COVID-19’s immediate impacts. Unfortunately, that is not the only issue plaguing the industry.
Fish as Food
There are a lot of things that smaller fishing businesses simply cannot do. They can’t move their products long-distance, they can’t store the perishables properly, and some can’t even fish due to restrictions on when they can work.
However, fisher people are not the only ones with less income. It has become harder and harder for many people to afford much food, so items like fish (which can be hard to store long-term and sometimes quite expensive) are often completely off the menu.
This, combined with the lower customer count of restaurants or fast-food businesses that do buy fish regularly, means that the fishing industry itself is actually less relevant under COVID-19. Fewer people want fish or want to risk getting infected just to get fish when there are simpler options.
Coastal Communities
Many coastal communities rely on fishing as a major part of their economy and sometimes a surplus food source. However, it has become harder than ever to get fish to customers outside of those communities without being a major business.
Transport is harder to acquire, especially transport that can keep fish fresh, and inland travel simply is not viable in a lot of areas. Fisherman can catch a lot of fish but do not have many people to sell to, even within their own local community.
Inland Fisheries
The opposite issue is happening with inland fisheries. Any fisherman who has to travel far to reach the ocean has suddenly been forced to rely on inland waters, which may not be as lucrative.
There is also the fact that demand is still down there, especially in areas that are under heavy lockdown. Even catching a decent supply inland can still lead to a financial loss, and over-fishing is a major concern that they still have to respect.
What Happens Next?
COVID has harmed many industries; the fishing industry is one of many. Nobody knows when it might stop or what impacts it could have on that industry in the future – but even if it was cured tomorrow, the damage has already been done.
Recreational fishing has thankfully been unaffected, with quality rods (https://www.northeasttackle.co.uk/sea-fishing-tackle-c5/sea-rods-c101/century-eliminator-t900-rod-14ft-4in-p2546) being in higher demand than ever. Fishing has become a popular way to stay outside, away from others, and relax under the stress of the pandemic.
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