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.