Effects of COVID-19 on U.S. Aquaculture Farms

Abstract

The U.S. aquaculture industry has experienced disruptions due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Responses from 537 U.S. aquaculture farms and businesses, collected through an online survey, revealed that the primary impact has been the disruption of traditional marketing channels. This has resulted in a cascade of effects, including the loss of revenue, consequences for farm labor, difficulty securing production inputs and services, and management challenges from on-farm inventory of unsold fish/shellfish. Results from the Quarter 1 survey confirm that COVID-19 has, and will continue to, negatively affect U.S. aquaculture for the duration of 2020, and possibly longer.