Wisconsin might be known for its cows, but it is also the fabled epicenter of the Friday night fish fry . During the darkest days of the Covid-19 pandemic, restaurants hosting this Friday tradition necessarily shuttered their doors. Yet, after about two months of reconfiguring their businesses, the majority of the state’s food- fish farmers reported mild to no consequences related to the lack of restaurant sales. In fact, fee fishing operations reported increases in their revenue as families sought outdoor activities throughout the summer of 2020.
There were and continue to be some tough pandemic-related consequences for fish producers in Wisconsin. S upply chain challenges are among the numerous vulnerabilities the pandemic exposed . Larval shrimp destined for Bloomer, Wis., died in the mail . Fish pellets are harder to come by and they rot when packaged too quickly . The lack of small-scale fish processing facilities prompted one aquaponic producer to donate tilapia to a raptor center. Meanwhile, an already dwindling workforce became even thinner. We know these things and more because NOAA Sea Grant ’s Covid response funding enabled Wisconsin Sea Grant to hire a food-fish outreach coordinator to reboot its Eat Wisconsin Fish initiative.
This presentation covers what Wisconsin Sea Grant learned about the heartland’s seafood supply with respect to the pandemic by talking to fish producers and others. It also showcases pandemic-era outreach and communication efforts including updates to the Eat Wisconsin Fish website, online cooking demonstrations, social media activities and the inception of The Fish Dish podcast.