Ryan Bradley, a fifth-generation fisherman who serves as executive director of Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United and owner of Sea Alis Seafood Company, has joined the Board of Directors of the Gulf Seafood Foundation. Photo: MSCFU
by Ed Lallo/Gulf Seafood News Editorial Director
Ryan Bradley, a fifth-generation fisherman who serves as executive director of Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United (MSCFU) and owner of Sea Alis Seafood Company, has joined the Board of Directors of the Gulf Seafood Foundation.
Bradley replaces longtime Mississippi director Jennifer Jenkins, owner of Crystal Seas Oysters in Pass Christian, who resigned after the death of her father.
Ryan Bradley,a fifth-generation fisherman, is leading the charge to promote sustainable fisheries in the Gulf through leadership in stewardship. On the Pass Christian docks with the sixth generation of fishermen, his sons Cooper and Aiden. Photo: Margaret Krome
“The Gulf Seafood Foundation has been a leader in serving our fishermen and seafood community,” said Bradley. “For many years, the organization has done a great supporting and promoting the Gulf seafood industry. I am honored to join this prestigious board and offer any help I can. I am sure this will be very beneficial for what we have going on here in Mississippi, as well as our efforts in Washington.”
“We are pleased to welcome Ryan onto the board,” said Jim Gossen, president of the Gulf Seafood Foundation. “We are impressed at the results he has gotten advocating in Washington for both the Mississippi and Gulf seafood industries on numerous issues. We are looking forward to adding our voice to his in this advocacy.”
Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United works collaboratively with the Louisiana Shrimp Association, Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders Alliance, Share The Gulf, MS/AL Sea Grant, and multiple academic institutions and researchers throughout the Gulf. It has built relationships with state and federal elected officials to ensure healthy marine ecosystems along with fair and equitable seafood access for America’s countless seafood consumers.
Known on Capitol Hill
Bradley spends a lot of his time in Washington educating legislators on the need to reform of the fisheries disaster process. He says his State is becoming used to disasters and is handling the Covid-19 crisis in stride. However, the State’s fishing community is still reeling from the 2019 Louisiana Bonnet Carre Spillway opening for more than 200 days that completely destroyed numerous seafood operations.
Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker visits with former Gulf Seafood Foundation board member Jennifer Jenkins, owner of Crystal Sea’s Oysters. Photo: Ed Lallo/Lallo Photography
“Our Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker has introduced legislation in the Senate to reform the antiquated fisheries disaster process,” he told Gulf Seafood News. “We have experienced first-hand here in our state waiting for year after year to get relief. In addition, we have fought for language in the bill that will allow NOAA to provide direct assistant payments to the fishermen, something the federal government has been reluctant to do in the past.”
For years, Mississippi’s Department of Marine Resources has refused to pay money directly to fishermen, citing the law prohibited those types of payments.
“The law is a bit fuzzy concerning direct reimbursements, however we are seeing NOAA finally approving direct payments to the fishermen on some of the 2011 disaster relief money our community is receiving from the Bonnet Carre Spillway oyster and crab damages. For years they told us they couldn’t. I think the legislation that Senator Wicker has introduced has put the pressure on the agency to provide that direct relief.”
The fifth-generation fishermen feels joining the Gulf Seafood Foundation board will be a plus, not only for Gulf seafood, but also for the national seafood industry.
“These efforts, amplified by Gulf Seafood Foundation will benefit not only the Gulf seafood industry, but the national seafood industry. This is huge because the fishing community can’t wait years on end for relief and then when it shows up have State agencies spend it on pet projects. That just does not sit well with the fishermen,” said the Mississippi seafood advocate.
“We will continue to work closely with our Congressional delegation, as well as that of the entire Nation. Our Mississippi Congressman has also co-sponsored companion fishery disaster reform legislation with Congressman Jared Huffman (CA) who chairs the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife in the House. Fishery disaster funding has historically come about because commercial fisheries are able to prove their losses through their reported landings and trip tickets. The States wouldn’t get any of this money if it wasn’t for the commercial fishermen,” he said.
No Covid-19 Relief for Fishermen
The executive director of the State’s fishermen’s organization is frustrated because currently few fishermen, seafood dealers or processers in his state has received any small business stimulus relief allocated for the Covid-19 pandemic disaster.
According to the Mississippi native who grew up shrimping on the water with his grandfather, the State’s shrimp processors are very concerned they will not be able to process shrimp entering their busy summer season. Shrimp boat entering Biloxi harbor from Gulf. Photo: Ed Lallo/Lallo Photography
“We have been navigating the crisis as best we can, helping as many fishermen as we can apply for the various programs,” explained Bradley. “We are hoping we will see some relief soon, especially for our coastal fishing communities that have had their operations completely wiped out last year from the flooding.”
Bradley is working with his fishing constituency to take advantage of the paycheck program, unemployment benefits and Cares Act. “We are just trying to help everybody survive. Right now, none of the independent fishermen out of work in Mississippi has received unemployment benefits under the self-employed conditions of the Cares Act as of yet. Also, there has been little success with the Paycheck program. We are hoping that might improve with the new PPP funding that has just been approved. All in all, there is not a whole lot of relief for the American seafood industry in general. It is just completely ridiculous.”
Bradley as talked with numerous processors, dealers and fishermen. He realizes there is really a high risk in losing a number of these to the “shelter in place orders” caused by the virus. “Many of our processors and dealers are concerned that they will not be able to reopen, or our fishermen having the finances available to them to continue fishing.”
Bradley is encouraging fishermen to be prepared to do more direct marketing. A shrimper sells directly to the public at the Biloxi docks. Photo: Ed Lallo/Lallo Photography
According to the Mississippi native who grew up shrimping on the water with his grandfather, the State’s shrimp processors are very concerned they will not be able to process shrimp entering their busy summer season. Many will have to retool how they package and process seafood, transferring large packaging designed for restaurants to smaller packages for retail and grocery chains.
“It’s just not retooling and repacking, processors will have to find new buyers for the product,” he said. “Those processers already selling to grocery and retail chains are going to be in better position. As we enter the shrimp season, I am encouraging our fishermen to be prepared to do more direct marketing. We are trying to come up with ways to help facilitate direct marketing and sales, from pop-up events to social media based advertising. The Gulf shrimp industry is on very shaky ground and we are trying to keep them afloat.”
A Silver Lining
Bradley feels there might be a silver lining in this economic crisis. “What we have learned from all of this is that commercial fishing and seafood operations are critical infrastructure. We are very necessary if our nation is to have a domestically produced food supply going forward. This is extremely important to our national security. I hope our leaders at the national level are starting to understand just how important we are.”
He thinks the time is right for a big push nationwide, to “Buy U.S.A.” and permanently change both how consumers view Gulf seafood and how politicians treat the fishing industry.
Bradley thinks the time is right for a big push nationwide, to “Buy U.S.A.” and permanently change both how consumers view Gulf seafood and how politicians treat the fishing industry. Photo: MSCFU
With the Mississippi wild oyster harvest in complete decimation because of last year’s spillway opening, the only production coming from the State is from oyster farms, or off-bottom aquaculture. He says these small operations, which mainly sold to restaurants, are taking a unique approach to marketing.
“I’ve been surprised because I’ve been watching several of the independent operators marketing their oysters in 100 count sacks printed with their company logo. I’ve been seeing them sell out of product. Granted they are not moving volume like Prestige Oysters in Texas or Crystal Seas here in Mississippi. They have had to cut prices almost in half, but they are moving product directly.”
“Ryan Bradley is an outstanding addition to our board. He is motivated in helping the voices of the commercial seafood industry be better understood,” said Jim Gossen, president of the Gulf Seafood Foundation. Photo: Ed Lallo/Lallo Photography
Bradley feels that this is a sign of what the future will hold for Gulf seafood as restrictions are lifted from the pandemic.
“I think we are already seeing some short-term price drops because of the market disruptions, however I feel prices will rise again soon because of food shortages from other commodities and inflation. With all the stimulus money that is being spent in our economy right now and because of the low unemployment, I suspect inflation will drive all food prices up in general.”
The MSCFU director hopes to see some kind of federal action on foreign imported food items. He is seeing production of foreign imported seafood fall because of the virus. He also sees the possibility of a significant halt to imported seafood that might drive up the prices of domestic seafood.
“If we can make it through the next month or two of volatile supply and prices, we will hopefully start to see some stabilization. It really depends on just how bad the economic downturn becomes.” He says seafood prices have been falling significantly in many instances, but signs of stabilization are on the horizon.
“Ryan Bradley is an outstanding addition to our board. He is motivated in helping the voices of the commercial seafood industry be better understood,” said Gossen. “We look forward to helping him accomplish his goals as he furthers ours.”
“I am really thankful to become a part of the Gulf Seafood Foundation. I hope to contribute my perspective on the important issues facing Gulf seafood, both today and in the future, to help grow and sustain our domestic seafood industry.”
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