May 15, 2026 — As black sea bass migrate to New England waters, the Rhode Island fishing industry is seeing their commercial potential.
“The price can be big,” said Chris Lee, senior director at Sea Fresh USA in North Kingstown. “It can be a valuable fishery in that way … the fish are kind of moving up here, so we’re seeing more and more of them … the price is good; selling them is not an issue. The large jumbos are worth quite a bit of money.”
Black sea bass are typically not sold directly to restaurants and never sent internationally, according to Lee. The species is in demand on the West Coast and metropolitan areas on the East Coast.