Most of the fish caught in Rhode Island’s waters is sold out of state, or even out of the country. Very little of the catch shows up in local restaurants, markets or on dinner plates.
A group of Ocean State fishermen, legislators and state officials is organizing to find ways to market and sell fish locally. One model the group may adapt is the one used by local produce, dairy and meat producers, who are taking advantage of the movement in the food community toward using local products.
State Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski, D-South Kingstown, is drafting legislation that would create a Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative. “There’s a problem when someone goes into a Rhode Island market and can’t get fish caught in Galilee,” said Sosnowski. The collaborative would include representatives from the state’s Department of Environmental Management, Department of Health, Economic Development Corporation, the University of Rhode Island, Roger Williams University and the Coastal Resources Management Council.
Read the complete story from The Providence Journal.