January 7, 2025 — Rhode Islanders have yet another option to choose from when it comes to license plates.
The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation (CFRF) is offering a new charity license plate that will benefit the state’s fisheries.
It will support research on the fresh, local, and sustainable seafood species in the state.
October 11, 2023 — The following was released by Jack Reed:
Rhode Island’s commercial fisheries and seafood sectors account for more than 4,300 jobs and drive $420 million in statewide economic impact, according to a joint Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation-University of Rhode Island study.
In an effort to help ensure continued growth and sustainability of Rhode Island’s commercial fishing sector amidst evolving challenges with ocean health, U.S. Senator Jack Reed today delivered a $500,000 federal earmark to finance a deep dive study that will help the Ocean State’s commercial fishermen.
Senator Reed joined David Bethoney, PhD, Executive Director of the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation (CFRF); local fishermen; and research collaborators at Point Judith’s Superior Trawl facility to celebrate this federal funding that will advance and enhance the organization’s efforts to understand, manage, and develop innovative solutions to challenges faced by commercial fishermen.
“As climate change rapidly alters the coastal landscape and oceans, we’ve got to support our commercial fishermen and help them adapt while also taking good care of our commercial fisheries. The well-being of both our fishermen and fisheries is critical to the Blue Economy and our economic future,” said Senator Reed. “CFRF research is critical to resilient and sustainable fisheries and ensuring commercial fishermen have a voice and a say when it comes to policies that impact their livelihoods. This new funding will deepen our understanding of modern ocean challenges. The data collected by CFRF and their partners will be used to ensure commercial fishermen have appropriate access rights and develop innovative solutions to ensure our commercial fisheries are healthy, resilient, and can thrive.”
“We are excited and grateful for this opportunity to build on initiatives that empower the commercial fishing community to help us understand and address significant change in the ocean environment,” said David Bethoney, PhD, Executive Director of CFRF.
With this federal earmark, CFRF will leverage and grow cooperative research efforts on issues affecting fishermen in Rhode Island and across southern New England. This work will utilize the knowledge of local fishermen to better understand and mitigate challenges facing the fishing sector, like climate change, rapidly warming waters, and plastic pollution. Specifically, CFRF will use these federal funds to:
Additionally, CFRF plans to invite more local fishermen to participate in these research initiatives, creating a path for fishermen to supplement and diversify their incomes. For example, the Shelf Research Fleet has included 18 fishermen since the project first started to collect profiles of water temperature and salinity at two-week intervals across the continental shelf. This research effort has already identified an increase in bottom intrusions of warm, salty water that may have gone undetected without their monitoring.
A senior member of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Reed secured this $500,000 earmark in the fiscal year 2023 consolidated appropriations law. The funding will be administered by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Earlier this year, Senator Reed also delivered $2.4 million to build a new shellfish hatchery and research center that will support the Ocean State’s aquaculture and seafood industries. This project is a collaboration between the University of Rhode Island and Matunuck Oyster Farm.
The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation is a nonprofit established by commercial fishermen to conduct collaborative fisheries research and to carry out education projects.
March 31, 2021 — The following was released by the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation:
Project Update: South Fork Wind Farm Fisheries Monitoring — Beam Trawl Survey
The South Fork Wind Farm beam trawl survey is well underway with six months of data collected on the benthic communities of the South Fork windfarm development area and two nearby reference areas. The beam trawl is designed to primarily target scallops and groundfish, however it is outfitted with a 2.4 cm knotless nylon liner to document all sizes of the benthic species present. The catch from each monthly survey has been relatively consistent with the eastern reference area dominated by crabs and skate and a handful of flatfish; the western reference area was rocky with many small invertebrates with high catches of scallop and skate with a few summer and winter flounder; and finally, the wind farm proposed area was predominantly little skate, scup, sea robins and a few scallops. In the colder months, with a few big storms moving though the area, we have seen a slight downturn in catch, particularly in finfish through the winter. Stay tuned to see what the warmer waters bring this spring as well as the beginning of our gillnet, ventless trap, and fish pot surveys each designed to target slightly different fisheries species in this area Visit the project webpage at www.cfrfoundation.org/sfwf-beam-trawl-survey to stay up to date with the catch information from this survey.
Project Results: River Herring Bycatch Avoidance Program
After over a decade of collaboration the River Herring Bycatch Avoidance Program has come to an end. The program, representing the work of CFRF, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, the commercial fishing industry, and contributions from several other organizations, fundamentally improved the understanding of river herring bycatch and how to reduce it in the Atlantic herring and Atlantic mackerel fisheries. It increased portside sampling of relevant vessels in Massachusetts and Rhode Island by over 100% at times. The data collected though portside sampling supported scientific publications, management decisions, and was the primary information source for near-real time communications of river herring bycatch. These communications positively influenced fishing habits and played a role in the approximate 60% decrease in total bycatch and 20% decrease in the bycatch rate prior to the establishment of river herring catch limits. Once river herring catch limits were established, the program helped the industry stay under these limits more often than what was expected by managers. Through the course of the project 26 vessels contributed data. This included 8 fishing companies and their 13 mid-water trawl vessels, representing the majority of Atlantic herring and mackerel catch in U.S., that were cornerstones of the program. The program was started with funding from the National Fisheries Wildlife Foundation, strengthened with funding from The Nature Conservancy, and then sustained by the Atlantic Herring Research-Set Aside Program. Cuts to the Atlantic herring quota made funding through the Research-Set Aside Program untenable and, along with the closure of near shore areas, reduced the need for the program. Thank you to all who supported and contributed to this program. More information can be found at www.umassd.edu/smast/bycatch/.
March 12, 2021 — The following was released by the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation:
The CFRF is seeking a motivated and qualified individual for the position of Full-time Research Biologist to start April 2021. Applications are due by March 26, 2021.
A full description of this job opening and application instructions are available HERE.
Overview of Position: Full‐time position focusing on collaborating with the commercial fishing industry to continue the Shelf Research Fleet, support an automatic squid jig pilot project and help execute at-sea work for pre‐wind farm development fisheries monitoring surveys.
Timeframe and Compensation: The position will last for one year, beginning in April 2021. The research biologist will maintain an average of 35 hours of work/week, will receive compensation at a rate of $48,000‐$52,000/year, depending on qualifications, and benefits of healthcare, paid holiday and paid personal time off.
Scope of Work: The qualified applicant will work with CFRF staff, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and the fishing community to maintain the Shelf Research Fleet and utilize Fleet data. The project, run since 2014, utilizes modern technology and fishermen’s time on the water to collect oceanographic data in six study areas across the continental shelf south of Rhode Island. The individual will also assist with other projects conducted in collaboration with the local fishing community.
Location: : The Research Biologist will work from the CFRF office located in the Commercial Fisheries Center of Rhode Island building on the East Farm Campus of the University of Rhode Island (Kingston, RI) as well as from their home office.
Qualifications: See full position description for minimum and preferred qualifications.
To Apply: Email a cover letter, CV, and contact information for three professional references to twinneg@cfrfoundation.org by March 26,2021.
Questions: Contact Teresa Winneg at twinneg@cfrfoundation.org or 401-515-4890. Please visit here for additional background information.
October 16, 2020 — Last month, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center provided funding to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to support the Lobster and Jonah Crab Research Fleet, organized by the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation (CFRF). NOAA explained that both the lobster and Jonah crab fisheries need additional research and data.
For lobster, managers have recently noted the need for more data for the most valuable species in the United States. When it comes to Jonah crab on the other hand it was once considered bycatch of the lobster fishery, but growing landings mean more biological and fishery data is needed to create a stock assessment for the crab species.
October 14, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
The Lobster and Jonah Crab Research Fleet, organized by the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation (CFRF), was established in 2013. It has collected biological data from nearly 160,000 American lobsters and about 90,000 Jonah crabs from the Gulf of Maine and south to the Mid-Atlantic.
In September, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center provided funding to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to support the research fleet’s work.
“I am thrilled that we were able to work with the Commission to provide support for the Lobster and Jonah Crab Research Fleet,” says Anna Mercer, Science Center Cooperative Research Branch Chief. “The project exemplifies the value of working with fishermen to address science needs and has tangible impacts on the stock assessments and management of these valuable species. I look forward to following along as this research continues and expands.”
August 14, 2020 — Last October, lobstermen fishing off the coast of southern New England noticed the lobsters getting more active. That’s fairly common, says Mark Sweitzer, a commercial fisherman out of Port Judith, Rhode Island.
“It’s not unusual for there to be a big pop of lobster in September or October,” says Sweitzer. “Fall’s our best fishing.”
But along with the lobster came something more unusual: a temperature spike on the seafloor, about 150-200 feet down. The temperature jumped from about 50 degrees to 60 — “a big, big change,” says Sweitzer — and stayed there for 38 days, from October 10 to November 15.
Sea surface temperature can change rapidly, rising or falling with strong winds or a storm. But at the bottom, temperature changes much more slowly. “So to get a temperature change that big on the bottom, that is major,” says Sweitzer. “Something caused that to happen. That wasn’t a few warm nights.”
July 29, 2020 — The following was released by the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation:
The CFRF is seeking a motivated and qualified individual for the position of Full-time Research Associate to start September 2020. Applications are due by August 12, 2020.
A full description of this job opening and application instructions are available HERE.
Overview of Position: Full-time position focusing on leading the communication aspects of CFRF’s research portfolio. This includes leading two projects focused on the communication of environmental change to fishing communities.
Timeframe and Compensation: The position will last for one year, beginning in September 2020. The Research Associate will maintain an average of 35 hours of work/week, will receive compensation at a rate of $48,00-$52,000/year, depending on qualifications, and benefits of paid holiday and vacation time.
Scope of Work: The qualified applicant will be responsible for helping CFRF Research Biologists and the Executive Director communicate project results and CFRF’s mission to a variety of stakeholders. All CFRF projects have an outreach component that this position will assist in. The individual will also lead two projects that seek to communicate the impacts of ocean acidification on the scallop fishery and changes on the New England shelf related to intrusions of warm, salty water.
Location: : The Research Associate will work from the CFRF office located in the Commercial Fisheries Center of Rhode Island building on the East Farm Campus of the University of Rhode Island (Kingston, RI) as well as from their home office.
Qualifications: See full position description for minimum and preferred qualifications.
To Apply: Email a cover letter, CV, and contact information for three professional references to twinneg@cfrfoundation.org by August 12, 2020.
Questions: Contact Teresa Winneg at twinneg@cfrfoundation.org or 401-515-4890. Please visit here for additional background information www.cfrfoundation.org.
July 22, 2020 — The following was released by the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation:
The CFRF is seeking a motivated and qualified individual to fill the position of a Full-time Research Biologist in August 2020. Applications are due by August 5, 2020.
A full description of this job opening with qualifications and application instructions is available HERE.
Overview of Position: Full-time position focusing on collaborating with the commercial fishing industry to execute pre-development fisheries monitoring surveys. The individual will also assist in other CFRF research initiatives at the direction of the Executive Director.
Timeframe and Compensation: The position will last for one year, beginning in August 2020. The research biologist will receive compensation at a rate of $48,00-$52,000/year, depending on qualifications, and benefits of paid holiday and personal time.
Scope of Work: CFRF and local commercial fishermen are conducting a suite of surveys to collect pre-construction biological and environmental data in wind farm development and reference areas. The qualified applicant will be key to the completion of these surveys, including serving as the overall project lead for a trawl-based survey.
Location: The Research Biologist will work from the CFRF office located in the Commercial Fisheries Center of Rhode Island building on the East Farm Campus of the University of Rhode Island (Kingston, RI) as well as from their home office. Surveys will be one-day trips leaving from Point Judith, Newport, or Sakonnet, Rhode Island.
Qualifications: See full position description for minimum and preferred qualifications.
To Apply: Email a cover letter, CV, and contact information for three professional references to twinneg@cfrfoundation.org by August 5, 2020.
Questions: Contact Teresa Winneg at twinneg@cfrfoundation.org or 401-515-4890. Please visit here for additional background information www.cfrfoundation.org.
March 6, 2019 — The following was released by the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation:
The CFRF is pleased to share that the State of Rhode Island General Assembly recently passed a Senate Resolution that recognizes the value of Rhode Island’s fishing industry, as hard-working harvesters and processors of seafood and drivers of the state’s work force and economy. The resolution, titled “Expressing Appreciation and Support for all Rhode Island Fishers and the Rhode Island Commercial Fishing Industry” is a well-deserved acknowledgement of the men and women who risk their lives on the North Atlantic and navigate a complex and conservative regulatory environment to bring premier, sustainable seafood to the mouths of millions.
The Resolution states that “As a result of this turmoil in their industry, our fishers know how to engage in the complex issues and policymaking processes that impact their businesses. They protect our community and ocean environment, and promote and market local seafood, and pilot sustainable fishing practices.” The Resolution goes on to state that “Rhode Island’s fishing and seafood industry is a crucial component of what makes us the Ocean State. Now, therefore, be it resolved, that this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby expresses its sincerest admiration and appreciation and utmost respect for all Rhode Island fishers and the Rhode Island commercial fishing industry.”
The CFRF is grateful to Senators Sosnowski, McCaffrey, Sheehan, Euer, and Algiere, who introduced the resolution. And, more, to the thousands of individuals in Rhode Island that play a role in the fishing and seafood industry. We are honored to work alongside all of you to ensure a bright future for this industry and the ocean environment that it relies upon.
To view the Senate Resolution in its entirety, please visit www.cfrfoundation.org/news-releases.