Published on Wednesday, October 09, 2024
PROVIDENCE, RI – With Governor Dan McKee proclaiming October as Seafood Month in accordance with National Seafood Month, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM), and the Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative are inviting the public to celebrate Rhode Island’s abundance of fresh and delicious local seafood by using the many tools and resources at Seafood.RI.gov to learn more about where you can buy it locally. The RI Seafood brand’s local seafood finder lists more than 118 restaurants, seafood markets, grocers, and direct sellers that offer local seafood, up-to-date landing data, an upcoming events calendar, easy and versatile recipes, and tips for how to cook and enjoy it. When choosing RI seafood, consumers are supporting RI’s seafood industry, local food system, and food economy.
“Making it easier for people to find and buy Rhode Island seafood is good for everyone,” said Governor Dan McKee. “It supports the thousands of hard-working men and women of one of the Ocean State’s oldest industries, celebrates the restaurants and seafood dealers and food businesses that have made Rhode Island such a ‘foodie’ destination, and ensures a steady supply of fresh, healthy, locally caught seafood, which is a cornerstone of our state food security strategy.”
“From calamari to oysters to various species of finfish, Rhode Island seafood is already known around the world; what we’re trying to do is jolt interest in and demand for our seafood right here in Rhode Island,” said DEM Director Terry Gray. “Through the efforts of the RI Seafood Marketing Collaborative, DEM aims to aid in connecting consumers to local seafood. There is an abundance of seafood that can be found year-round, and it is all delicious.”
“Fresh seafood is one of the many perks of life in the Ocean State, and the people and businesses who fish, catch, farm, process, deliver, sell, cook, and serve it are an integral part of the state's economy,” said Molly Moran-Ogren, Chair of the RI Seafood Marketing Collaborative. “Every time you choose RI Seafood at local markets, restaurants, or by buying directly from the fishers themselves, you're helping support the livelihoods of thousands of Rhode Islanders and a stronger, more resilient local food system.”
Established by the Rhode Island General Assembly in 2011, the Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative is a public-private body that aims to support local fishers and seafood farmers and increase awareness and consumption of locally harvested species by the public. Its membership includes representatives from all key sectors of the commercial fishing, aquaculture, and seafood industries joined by representatives from URI, RI Sea Grant, and state agencies including DEM, which chairs the group, and the RI Commerce Corporation, Rhode Island Department of Health, and RI Coastal Resources Management Council. The trademarked RI Seafood brand logo, which signifies that the products that bear the logo are locally landed or grown, is a core component of the Collaborative’s efforts to support local fishers and small businesses and to increase awareness and consumption by the public of locally fished species.
Over the past year, the RI Seafood brand has attended more than 27 events, interacted with over 3,200 consumers, engaged over 118 Rhode Island businesses, including fishers, aquaculturists, and other seafood venues in the RI Seafood Marketing campaign, all of which can be found on the local seafood finder map. RI Seafood offers small business support, like a Pilot Commercial Fishing Microgrant Program, and attendance at the Seafood Expo North America (SENA). Seafood consumers can subscribe for monthly emails which contain recipes, seafood partner highlights, upcoming events, information on what is in season, and more.
The fishing and seafood sector is a vital catalyst for Rhode Island’s economy that energizes shoreside and other businesses and adds value throughout the supply and demand chains, with the economic impact of Rhode Island fisheries and seafood totaling nearly 9,342 jobs and $872 million in 2022 according to NOAA Fisheries. The commercial fishing industry continues to rebound strongly from the challenges posed by the COVID pandemic, with 2023 commercial total pounds landed valued at $81.7 million, up by 9.5% over 2020 landings (ex-vessel), according to DEM’s Division of Marine Fisheries.
Follow RI Seafood on Facebook or Instagram (@RI.seafood) for regular updates. Sellers of RI seafood interested in joining the RI Seafood Marketing Campaign can sign up on the RI Seafood website. Sign up here to receive the latest press releases, news, and events from DEM's Public Affairs Office to your inbox.
