Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative Archives

DEM rolls out new feature on website that provides weekly updates of all seafood landings in Rhode Island

November 19, 2020 — The Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative, chaired by Department of Environmental Management (DEM) Director Janet Coit, today announced the availability of a new feature on the SeafoodRI.com website that provides weekly updates of all seafood landings in Rhode Island. This is the first time this information is being provided to consumers in a readily accessible, online format.

“We’re excited to offer this new tool on the SeafoodRI.com website so that Rhode Islanders can more easily find what’s fresh and available, and where they can find it,” said Department of Environmental Management (DEM) Director Janet Coit in a press release. “There is a strong demand for local seafood and we’re fortunate that our commercial harvesters are able to meet that demand by harvesting and landing wide varieties and large quantities of fresh seafood every day at our ports. Rhode Islanders can take pride in knowing that when they purchase fresh local fish, shellfish, lobsters and crabs, they are not only getting delicious seafood, but also helping to keep a vital part of our economy – our commercial fishing and seafood industry – up and running.”

The SeafoodRI.com website was established several years ago by the Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative. The website provides consumers with information on Rhode Island seafood including what’s available, where it can be purchased, how it’s harvested, and how to cook and enjoy it. Until recently, information on the availability of RI seafood was provided via an annual harvest calendar, which projected the likely availability of top local species on a seasonal basis over the course of a given year. It provided general guidance, but was not linked to real-time landings data.

Read the full story at What’s Up Newport

New app connects Rhode Island fishermen directly with customers

August 3, 2020 — Hit hard by restaurant closures due to the coronavirus, Rhode Island fishermen welcomed a 120-day pilot program announced in May by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management that allows them to sell directly to consumers.

Now, there’s a free app called “FishLine” that shows which fishermen are selling which types of fish and where to find them. The app is a collaboration between the Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative, the Commercial Fisheries Center of Rhode Island, Eating with the Ecosystem and Rhode Island Sea Grant.

Westerly fisherman Josiah Dodge fishes for lobster, black sea bass, fluke, scup and sea robin from his vessel, F/V Cricket. Dodge’s family has been fishing since 1661, but having a long history in the industry doesn’t mean he’s not open to new ideas.

“This app is super helpful and really easy to use, and hopefully, more people catch on to it down here,” he said.

Dodge and other participating fishermen can be found on the FishLine app under the tab “Find Seafood.” The user enters a zip code and the app finds fishermen close by. Clicking on an individual fisherman will bring up GPS coordinates that will guide the user to the vessel.

Read the full story at The Westerly Sun

Fishing Report: Rhode Island Seafood brand catching on

December 2nd, 2016 — I love it when a plan comes together. And, Wednesday I had that feeling at the Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative meeting chaired by Janet Coit, director of the Department of Environmental Management.

Four years of meetings with fishermen, tourism and commerce representatives, scientists, fish processors, health department officials, chefs and restaurants owners to develop and implement a Rhode Island Seafood brand (seal) is starting to catch on. There’s no doubt in my mind that it will pay off with big dividends for the fishing industry and tourism in Rhode Island. Ultimately it is (and will be) a big shot in the arm for RI’s economy.

However, the big winners of this branding initiative will be Rhode Islanders. We get to dine out or eat at home more seafood that is grown and/or landed in Rhode Island as that is what the RI Seafood label means. Look for the RI Seafood label and you know the fish was grown and/or landed in Rhode Island.

Presenter after presenter at the Seafood Marketing Collaborative meeting shared success stories about implementing the RI Seafood brand. Highlights included:

A very successful Calamari Cook-Off in Narragansett in September where a 1,000 pounds of fresh Rhode Island calamari (donated by the industry) was prepared by area restaurants and chefs with thousands of people in attendance. RI lands more squid that any other port in the nation.

Read the full story at the Providence Journal