AUTHOR=Stoll Joshua S. , Harrison Hannah L. , De Sousa Emily , Callaway Debra , Collier Melissa , Harrell Kelly , Jones Buck , Kastlunger Jordyn , Kramer Emma , Kurian Steve , Lovewell M. Alan , Strobel Sonia , Sylvester Tracy , Tolley Brett , Tomlinson Andrea , White Easton R. , Young Talia , Loring Philip A. TITLE=Alternative Seafood Networks During COVID-19: Implications for Resilience and Sustainability JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems VOLUME=5 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2021.614368 DOI=10.3389/fsufs.2021.614368 ISSN=2571-581X ABSTRACT=

Export-oriented seafood trade faltered during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, alternative seafood networks (ASNs) that distribute seafood through local and direct marketing channels were identified as a “bright spot.” In this paper, we draw on multiple lines of quantitative and qualitative evidence to show that ASNs experienced a temporary pandemic “bump” in both the United States and Canada in the wake of supply chain disruptions and government mandated social protections. We use a systemic resilience framework to analyze the factors that enabled ASNs to be resilient during the pandemic as well as challenges. The contrast between ASNs and the broader seafood system during COVID-19 raises important questions about the role that local and regional food systems may play during crises and highlights the need for functional diversity in supply chains.