Feeding with Fish Through a Crisis

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CAPE MAY – Fresh and frozen seafood has been leaving Lund’s Fisheries Inc., in Cape May, despite an initial slowdown from COVID-19 restrictions closing many restaurants and other food establishments.
The company received federal funding to help offset expenses during the pandemic and has been able to keep its five facilities operating.
“I can’t say we’ve been necessarily profitable during this time,” said Wayne Reichle, president and owner, “but it was important to us that our employees and their families knew they could depend on us during this time. “The federal funding will help offset costs such as labor, leases and other expenses.”
No employees were laid off as a result of the virus, according to Reichle. There are 150 employees between their facilities in Cape May and Bridgeton. They have two facilities on the West Coast and another was recently added in Bedford, MA.
The virus and restrictions occurred during, what Reichle called, their “transition period,” when the winter fishing season ends and the summer fish and scallop season begins.
Lund’s owns, operates and maintains a fleet of 19 fishing vessels between the East and West coasts. These boats primarily fish for Longfin Loligo, Shortfin Illex, California Squid, Scallops, Summer Flounder, Black Sea Bass, Mackerel, Herring and Menhaden. In addition to its fleet, Lund’s has generational relationships with independent fishing vessels and families that supply them with catches.
Reichle said their business is “diverse” and uses “different avenues,” including distributing fresh fish like summer flounder to wholesalers in large metropolitan areas, such as Philadelphia, New York and Baltimore. In Cape May, workers freeze sea scallops. Packaging is performed in Bridgeton. Bags, ranging from 10 ounces to 5 pounds, are distributed to restaurant retailers.
“The commercial fishing industry has definitely been impacted because of the virus,” Reichle said, “the lowest I’ve seen in 25 years.”
“When the restaurants were initially closed, things really slowed down,” he continued. “Once businesses figured out other ways to move their product, such as take out, we started moving fish again. The markets couldn’t handle the volumes.”
Like other businesses, Lund’s instituted several precautionary measures when the pandemic started.
“We provided masks to employees,” Reichle said, “and face shields to those if we couldn’t install plexiglass between stations.
“We have people constantly sanitizing any high-touch areas like doorknobs, breakrooms, office space,” he continued. “We’ve provided wipes and hand sanitizers all over.”
If employees carpooled, they were encouraged to limit their time together as much as possible. All employees are also having their temperatures taken upon entering the facility.
Reichle said “some” employees did contract the virus, but they were quarantined and isolated, as required.
“They are back to work,” he said, “and I commend our employees for working through this.”
Going forward, Reichle sees “a lot of challenges,” the biggest of which is “reopening businesses and reestablishing consumer confidence, so consumers feel comfortable going out and enjoying a meal.
“I realize these are difficult times, but we are a strong country,” Reichle said. “I am really proud of how our employees have continued through this time, coming to work, continuing to operate. We are feeding people, people depend on us.”
“Cape May is a great place of natural resources, and the seafood business is a big part of Cape May County business,” he added. “I know we’ll come back.”
To contact Karen Knight, email kknight@cmcherald.com.