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Fisher casts net to collect bait fish in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Credit: NOAA.
Small-scale fishers and fish dealers in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands surveyed in August 2020 reported that the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on their livelihoods. Survey results are summarized in a new NOAA publication, along with other recent regional socioeconomic findings from the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program.
Revenue losses are attributed to multiple, pandemic-related factors, including: new restrictions, lack of charter clients, and loss of fish buyers. The new publication also shows that U.S. Caribbean residents believe that local coral reefs provide an array of ecosystem services that sustain the region's seafood- and tourism-driven economy.
NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, and National Marine Fisheries Service collaborated on the research.