R.I. seafood industry getting nearly $400K in aid

THE RHODE Island congressional delegation recently announced nearly $400,000 in federal funding to help Rhode Island’s seafood industry recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. / PBN FILE PHOTO/JOHN LEE

PROVIDENCE – Nearly $400,000 in federal funding is on the way to help Rhode Island’s seafood industry recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the state’s congressional delegation announced.

Democratic Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Reps. James R. Langevin and David N. Cicilline last week said the U.S. Department of Agriculture will grant the Ocean State $371,412 through the Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant Program.

“This federal funding will help seafood processors overcome challenges caused by the pandemic, protect their workers, and ensure safety,” said Reed. “This is a smart investment in bolstering U.S. seafood supply chains and helping seafood workers and the industry as a whole get back on its feet.”

The federal funds, administered at the local level by the R. I. Department of Environmental Management, can be used for a variety of purposes, including:

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  • Workplace safety measures – including personal protective equipment, sanitizer, hand washing stations, air filters, thermometers, cleaning supplies or similar items.
  • Market pivots – such as transition to virtual/online sales costs (online platform development and fees, online marketing, credit card processing fees), supplies and new signage.
  • Retrofitting facilities – for worker and consumer safety (retrofitting harvester vessels for onboard vessel processing to maximize open-air activities, plexiglass, walk up windows, heat lamps, fans, tents, propane, weights, tables and chairs).
  • Transportation – additional transportation costs incurred to maintain social distancing.
  • Worker housing – additional worker housing costs incurred to maintain social distancing or to allow for quarantining of new or exposed employees.
  • Medical – unreimbursed costs associated with providing or enabling vaccinations, testing, or healthcare treatment of infected employees, including any paid leave.

“The Ocean State’s seafood industry was hit hard early in the pandemic and continues to deal with lingering challenges,” Whitehouse said. “This federal funding will provide additional support to help hardworking, local fishermen keep delivering some of the world’s best seafood for Rhode Islanders to enjoy.”

 

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