Riverence Holdings, an Idaho-based trout company, has downsized its operations due to lost demand caused by the coronavirus-related shutdown of many restaurants.

The company verified in an email to Capital Press that it had laid off employees at Clear Springs Foods, a Buhl, Idaho-based rainbow trout company founded in 1966.

A company spokesperson told Capital Press the company laid off 97 employees representing 35% of its workforce at Clear Springs Foods. It also laid off 62 employees representing 49% of its workforce at the nearby Riverence Farms trout facility and three others related to the Idaho operations of Riverence Holdings.

Riverence acquired Clear Springs in February with the stated intent of maintaining its existing brands, team members and markets.

“Like many food producers and small businesses in general, our business was dramatically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the company stated. “As a result, we were required to make heartbreaking reductions to the size of our workforce. We did so in order to sustain our ability to operate, and continue to provide locally produced, American trout to our customers.”

The employees that were laid off were “committed, valuable and tenured staff members whom we did not want to lose,” the company said.

“While this is not a decision that anyone in leadership enjoyed making, it was a necessary move to stabilize our company amidst the chaos in our customer base. The situation was very unfortunate and by no fault or wrong-doing by any of our employees,” the company stated.

The Buhl Herald, a local newspaper, reported employees were told on April 14 the company would be downsizing by 50% and salaried employees would see a pay cut of 25%.

Riverence is continuing to provide medical benefits to laid-off employees through the end of the month and 90 days of access to an employee assistance program, the company said in its statement.

Riverence also owns Riverence Brood in Olympia, Wash., and employed more than 450 before the layoffs.

Linda Lemmon, executive secretary of the Idaho Aquaculture Association, said she didn’t have first-hand knowledge about the layoffs but said everyone who raises trout is in a holding pattern right now with restaurants closed.

Lemmon is the processing manager for Hagerman-based Blind Canyon Aqua Ranch, which sells rainbow trout to Riverence for the restaurant trade.

Riverence has not indicated any changes to its business with Blind Canyon, she said.

Given the restaurant closures, Idaho’s independent trout growers are looking for other avenues to sell their product and waiting for the U.S. to slowly open, she said.

“We’re all in the same boat,” she said.