ASSOCIATED PRESS • November 23, 2020
Consumer demand for seafood at restaurants dropped by more than 70 percent during the early months of the pandemic, according to the scientists. Imports fell about 37 percent and exports about 43 percent over the first nine months of the year compared to 2019. The economic impact has been felt most severely in states that rely heavily on the seafood sector, such as Maine. Maine’s catch of monkfish has dried up because of the lack of access to foreign markets such as Korea. It hasn’t all been doom and gloom for the industry, as seafood delivery and home cooking have helped businesses weather the pandemic.