08/23/2021
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone Announces Launch Of Long Island Commercial Fishing Survey
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced the launch of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Survey . The survey, developed in partnership with the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning, New York Sea Grant, Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program, and the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, will help the County develop an up-to-date profile of the Long Island commercial fishing, which has been especially hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The information and data collected through the survey will highlight the needs of local fishermen and will guide and assist agencies in providing the resources necessary to continue to support a viable and sustainable fishing industry. The survey will differ from years prior by including targeted questions about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected commercial fisherman on Long Island. The survey will include questions on the profitability of the industry over the last year and moving forward, questions on revenues over the last year, and changes to the business model over the last year, among others.
Last year, the COVID-19 outbreak caused restaurants across the state to close or operate at limited capacity in order to protect public health. That disruption eliminated a critical customer base for Long Island’s local fishing and seafood industries, and market prices for fish dropped between 60 to 80 percent. In some circumstances, harvested fish went unsold entirely. COVID-19 related disruptions, and other export market closures for such valuable export species as squid, tuna and Jonah crab, left many fishermen with few if any options to get their catch to consumers. To complete the survey, click here.
Qualtrics sophisticated online survey software solutions make creating online surveys easy. Learn more about Research Suite and get a free account today.