Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 5/7/20

A quarter of the Senate is calling for federal aid for fishermen and fish processors who have been hit hard by the closure of restaurants, which account for the bulk of all seafood sales. The surge in grocery sales has helped other ag sectors offset some of the lost demand — but shoppers are less likely to buy seafood to cook at home than other meats and fresh produce, and some stores have cut back on fish offerings.

In a letter to Republican and Democratic leaders, 25 senators led by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on Wednesday proposed appropriating $2 billion for USDA to buy up U.S. seafood and redistribute it to food banks and other nonprofits. Half of that money should be reserved for buying seafood products “that have not typically been purchased” by the department in past programs, they wrote.

They’re also seeking an additional $1 billion for direct payments to commercial and recreational fishermen and seafood businesses, managed by the Commerce Department.