Saving Seafood

RHODE ISLAND: Rhode Island fishermen hope to profit from influx of black sea bass

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.

Read the full article at Southern Rhode Island Newspapers

RHODE ISLAND: Rhode Island quahog industry reels from ‘gut-wrenching’ sewage spill

May 13, 2026 — Rhode Island quahoggers are facing mounting financial losses following a sewage spill that forced the closure of key shellfishing waters in the Providence River.

“It’s gut-wrenching,” said quahogger Jim Boyd.

“Devastated, to be honest with you,” added full-time commercial shellfisherman Dave Ghigliotty.

The May 4 spill, caused by a broken pipe in East Providence, released 880,000 gallons of sewage into Narragansett Bay, according to Rhode Island’s Department of Environmental Management (DEM). In response, the DEM closed the 16E shellfishing area, one of the most productive clam beds in the state.

Fishermen say the difference between Area 16E and the rest of the bay is dramatic.

“It’s three to four times better than any of the areas that we can fish,” said Michael McGiveney, President of the Rhode Island Shellfisherman’s Association.

“There’s more quahogs there,” Ghigliotty explained. “There’s more fishing, there’s more ground, there’s more virgin territory.”

Area 16E is located in the waters between Warwick’s Conimicut and Barrington’s Annawomscutt neighborhoods. The territory was closed for decades because of pollution, but after extensive cleanup efforts by the Narragansett Bay Commission, the area was deemed clean enough for shellfishing five years ago, according to the Providence Journal. Since the area had been closed off for so long, the shellfish populations are more robust, explained McGiveney.

Read the full article at NENC

Offshore wind farms take shape along Rhode Island’s coast, even as Trump wants to stop them

April 24, 2026 — Offshore wind turbines roughly three times the height of the Statue of Liberty were spinning far off the coast of Rhode Island on Thursday, sending clean electricity to the region.

Wind farms are taking shape and operating along the East Coast, even as President Donald Trump seeks to end the U.S. offshore wind industry. He often talks about his hatred of wind power and calls turbines ugly.

The Associated Press traveled roughly 100 miles (161 kilometers) and saw three of the five wind farms in the area. Two of the five are fully operational, two are nearly done, and one is about halfway built.

The first turbines from the Revolution Wind project were clearly visible from about 5 nautical miles away, and can be seen from farther away on clear days. They stretched across the horizon, massive structures evenly spaced in rows, some spinning in the light winds.

Read the full article at WPRI

RHODE ISLAND: These fish look like Jabba the Hutt. Now, RI kids are eating monkfish at school.

April 14, 2025 — There’s nothing about a monkfish’s appearance that makes you want to eat it.

With a bulbous head, bulging eyes, oversized mouth and sluglike body that can grow more than four feet long, it’s basically the Jabba the Hutt of the ocean.

But this slimy, bottom-dwelling monstrosity sometimes called goosefish, devilfish or fishing frog is known to seafood afficionados for firm, sweet tail meat that makes for a tasty meal.

Read the full article at Providence Journal

Rhode Island’s fishing industry is feeling the pinch of high fuel prices

April 2, 2026 — A MARTÍNEZ, HOST: The cost of fuel oil is rising because of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Now, we’re seeing it on the ground at gas stations and in the air as airlines raise prices. Today, we look at the water. David Wright reports from Ocean State Media in Rhode Island, where the price of diesel fuel is about $5.75 a gallon.

(SOUNDBITE OF ICE SCRAPING)

DAVID WRIGHT, BYLINE: Mike Pugliese, known locally as Fishmonger Mike, starts his day scooping plenty of ice.

(SOUNDBITE OF ICE SCRAPING)

WRIGHT: The shelf life of his product depends on it.

What’s this?

MIKE PUGLIESE: That’s fluke. It’s a type of flounder. That was caught two days ago.

WRIGHT: Right now, fresh seafood is under pressure, in part because rough weather has made this a tough year for New England fishermen. Now they’re facing higher fuel prices, too.

PUGLIESE: I’m praying that the diesel prices don’t go any higher because right now, I think they’re at the pinnacle for particularly the local boats here that are doing the fluke offshore.

WRIGHT: Over the past month since the war in Iran kicked off, the cost of diesel here in Rhode Island has jumped nearly 50% at local gas stations and here at the dock.

Read the full transcript at NPR

 

As offshore wind projects begin operations, cause of Vineyard Wind blade incident remains unknown

March 31, 2026 —  The Biden administration set out to spread 30 gigawatts of offshore wind on the coasts of the United States. While that goal wasn’t reached before President Donald Trump took office, several projects were approved and continued with construction.

Earlier this month, Vineyard Wind off the coast of Nantucket finished construction, The Nantucket Current reported. Shortly after, offshore wind developer Orsted announced that the Revolution Wind project off the coast of Rhode Island began providing intermittent power to New England. This week, the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project off the coast of Virginia Beach began providing intermittent power to the grid, Virginia Business reported.

Despite concerns about the impacts of offshore wind to electricity rates and whales, Biden’s wind projects move rapidly ahead. The federal analysis of what caused a catastrophic blade failure on Vineyard Wind in July 2024 still hasn’t been published.

Read the full article at Just The News

Revolution Wind, a key offshore wind project and object of scorn for Trump admin, comes online

March 16, 2026 — A large offshore wind project off the coast of Connecticut and Rhode Island that was repeatedly stopped by the Trump administration came online Friday evening, sending clean energy to New England’s power grid.

The project, known as Revolution Wind, is nearing the end of construction and will ultimately generate up to 704 megawatts of electricity — the equivalent of powering 350,000 homes. That’s about 2.5% of New England’s electric supply. Construction on Revolution Wind is expected to be completed later this year.

“This project is key to diversifying our energy supply and lowering utility costs for families and businesses,” said Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont in a statement.

“Today’s milestone marks an important step forward for Rhode Island’s energy future,” Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement.

Read the full article at nhpr

RHODE ISLAND: Recent fishermen’s deaths hit home in Point Judith

March 13, 2026 — This winter has been an especially difficult season for the fishermen of New England, with the death of a Stonington man and two recent boat sinkings.

On Jan. 25, late at night, Thomas Williams’ body was found in the water near the town dock in Stonington. Williams was a well known captain of the F/V Heritage and a long-time local fisherman out of Stonington and Point Judith.

Last Wednesday, New Bedford, Mass., police rescued a man from freezing water, according to 7 News Boston. The man fell between two fishing vessels, where he became trapped and unable to get out. Five officers were able to pull him safely out of the water after he was found holding onto dock lines.

A day later, the commercial fishing vessel Yankee Rose sank off Cape Cod, according to the Associated Press. The U.S. Coast Guard was able to pull one person out of the water, but the second crew member is still missing.

As a third-generation fisherman, Williams was a staple of the Rhode Island community for over 25 years. He was known as one of the best fishermen in Rhode Island, according to Fred Mattera, a retired local fisherman and president of the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation.

Read the full article at The Independent

RHODE ISLAND: Initiative looks to restore Rhode Island’s quahog populations

March 2, 2026 — A reseeding initiative from researchers, state, and industry leaders is looking to strengthen Rhode Island’s quahog fisheries in Narragansett Bay.

Led by researchers at Roger Williams University’s (RWU) Center for Economic and Environmental Development (CEED), the project integrates aquaculture, disease testing, and hands-on student training to support wild shellfish populations and the state’s seafood economy.

The project is funded through a Partnership for Research Excellence in Sustainable Seafood (PRESS) grant, and will be done in partnership with the Rhode Island Shellfisherman’s Association (RISA).

Read the full article at Aquaculture North America 

Roger Williams University Heads Reseeding Initiative to Strengthen Rhode Island’s Quahog Fisheries

February 23, 2026 — Roger Williams University’s Center for Economic and Environmental Development (CEED) is guiding a research-driven initiative to strengthen Rhode Island’s quahog fisheries in Narragansett Bay. The project integrates aquaculture, disease testing, and hands-on student training to support wild shellfish populations and the state’s seafood economy.

Funded through a Partnership for Research Excellence in Sustainable Seafood (PRESS) grant at the University of Rhode Island’s College of the Environment and Life Sciences and supported by NOAA, the initiative supports research that advances sustainable seafood. Through the program, CEED is studying wild quahog populations in partnership with the Rhode Island Shellfisherman’s Association (RISA).

“The aim of this work is to address commercial and recreational harvester concerns about the declining clam population in Narragansett Bay,” said Robert J. Holmberg, a Shellfish Aquaculture and Hatchery Specialist, and RWU Assistant Professor of Marine Biology and CEED’s Shellfish Aquaculture and Hatchery Specialist. “They’ve declined over decades due to several factors, but this project specifically focuses on understanding how disease and reproductive health impact quahog populations.”

Read the full article at Roger Williams University