IMPACTS OF COVID-19 ON U.S. MOLLUSK AQUACULTURE

The coronavirus (COVID-19) disease pandemic has disrupted the lives and livelihoods of everyone on our planet. As governments around the globe implemented measures to protect the health and safety of their populations, there were multiple ripple effects that reverberated throughout all sectors of our economy. The aquaculture and aquaponics sectors were also amongst those affected by the impacts of COVID-19. The implementation of "social distancing" policies, restaurant dine-in prohibitions, and stay-at-home orders across the U.S. has translated into a disruption of market channels for aquaculture, aquaponics, and allied businesses. As a result of the lost market channels, businesses have experienced a loss of revenue, interruptions in cash flow, challenges with production, challenges with labor, and more. To address the challenges faced by the industry, a study was launched to assess the impacts of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on U.S. aquaculture, aquaponics, and allied businesses. This study was a collaborative effort between Virginia Tech, The Ohio State University, and Mississippi State University Extension, prompted by contacts with producers raising their concerns and attempting to identify resources that could aid their businesses.

Data for this study was collected through a survey, which was developed in Qualtrics so that it could be rapidly distributed online and through social media to aquaculture, aquaponics, and allied businesses around the U.S.. The National Aquaculture Association (NAA), USDA NIFA Cooperative Extension, National Sea Grant Extension, multiple industry associations, and other stakeholders assisted in distribution of the survey. Given the urgency to gather exploratory information on how U.S. aquaculture was being affected, a non-probability, self-selection method was used. The survey was be distributed quarterly throughout 2020, to capture the evolving effects of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the industry.

This presentation will cover the findings regarding the i mpacts of COVID-19 on U.S. mollusk a quaculture businesses.