Government Purchases
Seafood Purchases by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
In May 1983, an amendment to the Emergency Jobs Appropriation Act (PL 98-8), modified Section 32 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1935 (Surplus Commodity Program) to (1) remove a $1.5 million funding limit on the purchase of fish products and (2) direct the Secretary of Agriculture to treat fishery products on an equal footing with other agricultural commodities in this program.
Several months later, a USDA/Department of Commerce Task Force was convened to work out details to initiate increased fish purchases on an ongoing and permanent basis. Since then, the two Agencies have worked together on purchase programs totaling $250 million. Press releases are available on: canned tuna, canned salmon, frozen salmon nuggets, pouched salmon, frozen Alaska pollock nuggets, frozen catfish, and frozen Atlantic pollock that have been purchased under this program.
The role of the National Marine Fisheries Service has been to monitor surplus conditions in US fisheries, provide economic justification for purchase decisions by USDA, develop new or amended purchase specifications, assist USDA in compiling a list of potential bidders, provide required inspection services, and represent fisheries interests at USDA planning meetings. The Agricultural Marketing Service in USDA purchases the products and has it distributed to schools and other charitable institutions.
In 1997, USDA purchased of over $14 million of pink salmon which will provide market support to the beleagured Alaskan pink salmon industry. Approximately $10 million was for canned pink salmon with another $4 million going for skinless, boneless pink salmon in a 4-pound pouch and for pink salmon nuggets.
USDA has just completed its 1998 salmon program, which will consist of about $10 million worth of canned pink salmon, chum nuggets, and pouched pink salmon. USDA has begun buying surplus albacore tuna with an initial purchase of $577,000 worth of canned product on December 3, 1998. USDA has agree to buy a total of $4 million worth of surplus albacore tuna. Fish Purchases by USDA 1981-1999.
Seafood |
Tuna | Salmon | Salmon | Salmon | Catfish | Alaskan
Pollock |
Total | |||||||
Purchases |
Canned | Canned | Nuggets | Poached | Frozen | Frozen Nuggets |
Fish |
|||||||
1981-1999 |
MIL |
MIL |
MIL |
MIL |
MIL |
MIL |
MIL |
MIL |
MIL |
MIL |
MIL |
MIL |
MIL |
MIL |
School Year |
LBS |
$ |
LBS |
$ |
LBS |
$ |
LBS |
$ |
LBS |
$ |
LBS |
$ |
LBS |
$ |
2.9 |
4.3 |
7.9 |
8.9 |
0.7 |
0.9 |
0.6 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
12.1 |
15.1 |
|
1997-98 |
1.1 |
1.5 |
4.8 |
6 |
0.3 |
0.5 |
0.3 |
0.5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6.5 |
8.5 |
1996-97 |
2.8 |
3.8 |
13.3 |
13 |
2 |
2.2 |
0.8 |
1.3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
18.9 |
20.3 |
1995-96 |
6.1 |
9.1 |
0 |
0 |
0.6 |
0.6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7.2 |
9.7 |
1994-95 |
6.3 |
7.4 |
8 |
9.6 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
14.6 |
17.3 |
1993-94 |
4.6 |
6.3 |
6.7 |
10 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
11.3 |
16.3 |
1992-93 |
10.8 |
12.3 |
3.4 |
5.7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
14.2 |
18 |
1991-92 |
10.5 |
13 |
8.6 |
14.2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
5.4 |
0 |
0 |
22.1 |
32.6 |
1990-91 |
8.5 |
12.3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8.5 |
12.3 |
1989-90 |
6.3 |
8.7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
14.1 |
16.2 |
20.4 |
24.9 |
1988-89 |
6.8 |
9.5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
14.2 |
16.5 |
21 |
26 |
1987-88 |
8.7 |
12.1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5.7 |
7.2 |
14.4 |
19.3 |
1986-87 |
8.4 |
9.2 |
3 |
4.7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1.3 |
1.8 |
12.7 |
15.7 |
1985-86 |
7.3 |
9 |
3.7 |
5.5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
11 |
14.5 |
1984-85 |
5.8 |
7.5 |
3.2 |
4.9 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
12.4 |
1983-84 |
3.1 |
4.2 |
2.8 |
4.1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.3 |
0.4 |
0 |
0 |
6.2 |
8.7 |
1982-83 |
0.5 |
0.7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2.3 |
3.5 |
0 |
0 |
2.8 |
4.2 |
1981-82 |
1 |
1.6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1.6 |
