Lake whitefish, yellow & white perch, channel catfish, and shellfish are just several of the fish found in the great lakes region

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) received a $200,000 block grant award from the US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service under the Pandemic Relief Activities: Farm and Food Worker Relief Grant Program (CFDA #10.181). The award enables MDARD to reimburse Michigan-based seafood processors, at-sea processors, and seafood dealers for expenditures incurred between January 27, 2020 and December 31, 2021 to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. Eligible costs include COVID-19 workplace safety measures, market pivots, retrofitting facilities, transportation, worker housing, and medical-related costs. MDARD will conduct outreach to inform the seafood industry of eligible costs, provide application guidance, and adjudicate applications to award funds. Notable sub-awards were made to Superior Foods Company and Big O Smokehouse, Inc. to reimburse their expenses responding to the coronavirus, including protecting workers. The award period is January 24, 2022 through January 24, 2024.

Approximately 179 seafood processors, at-sea processors, and seafood dealers are licensed by the michigan department of agriculture and rural development (mdard). Estimates by michigan department of natural resources fisheries chief suggest 13 michigan commercial fishers harvest about 5 million pounds of fish per year https://greatlakesecho.ORG/2020/05/18/commercial-fishing-in-michigan-is-critical-infrastructure-will-IT-survive-covid-19/ . The michigan industry generally cuts or grinds fish, employs smoking as a method of transformation, or processes caviar. Michigan seafood processing was drastically impacted by the covid-19 global pandemic, health status concerns for staff, as well as economic shock caused by various work restrictions ordered by authorities to address public health risk. The industry also experienced supply chain disruption, and transportation networks were stalled, stopped, and started. Managing seafood processing required adjustment in procedure, including new or additional personal protection equipment (PPE) usage, facility retro-fits, and operational changes. Market systems were restructured, while; processors and dealers had to adapt for their businesses to survive. This award enables michigan-based seafood processors, at-sea processors, and seafood dealers to receive reimbursement for expenditures incurred as defined by the award's program description. Mdard will conduct outreach, sensitize the seafood industry to the eligible costs (covid-19 workplace safety measures, market pivots, retrofitting facilities, transportation, worker housing and medical-related costs), provide guidance on application submission, and adjudicate applications including assessing risk, and award funds where eligible. This grant administration will occur no earlier than january 1, 2022, up to 24 months until funds are exhausted for costs incurred between january 27, 2020, and december 31, 2021.