The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program® and partners: Resonance, The University of Arizona, Johnson & Wales University, the University of Massachusetts Boston, and the Qingdao Marine Conservation Society conducted a survey to understand the impacts of the pandemic COVID-19 on members of the aquaculture supply chain. Taken into consideration that fresh seafood products are highly perishable and must be sold, processed, or stored quickly, are at particular risk, this study explored the effects of restrictions and quarantine measures on aquaculture from the perspectives of government, industry, eco-certifications, importers, and retail/food service sectors. Our goal was to learn what areas of the aquaculture operations and supply chains are being impacted by the pandemic, identify what mitigation and/or preventative measures have been taken, and the degree to which these measures have been successful.
The research team distributed an anonymous survey in July 2020 to the different actors involved in the aquaculture supply chain . The assessment was organized into three main areas 1) Producers, which includes Salmon, Shrimp, and Tilapia producers; 2) Regulators, which include certifying bodies and standard owners; and 3) the industry, which considers importers, food service, retail companies, and Eco-certification.
Different difficulties were identified in different areas . Overall, complications found were: 1) there have been more difficulties across the supply chain procuring shrimp when compared to salmon or Tilapia, 2) Seafood buyers were able to quickly switch procurement countries to meet demand, 3) Food Service was the most impacted seafood buying sector due to the closure of restaurants, 4) Reliance on passenger air travel for salmon distribution was problematic, 5) Frozen and shelf-stable products are in greater demand as consumers are more interested in convenience options (heat and eat) on retail, 6) Shorter supply chains make adapting to the COVID-19 crisis easier.
In general, a quaculture products are more available than wild capture, offering greater resilience in times of stress. Seafood supply is more resilient to COVID-type impacts than other proteins, with chicken taking the place of seafood in some instances. Eco-certification programs adapted through the use of remote auditing, which worked well for auditing environmental variables, but not well for social audits. It is not feasible to conduct thorough social audits remotely.
The findings from this survey will help inform a more prepared and sustainable aquaculture industry that is resilient in the face of disturbances, contributing to secure food systems and livelihoods in the future.