Three bills approved by the General Assembly this year to assist the fishing trade were signed into law recently in a ceremony held at Salty Brine State Beach in Galilee, the center of the Ocean State’s fishing industry.
The bills are designed to give a marketing boost to local fishermen and small businesses; to discourage poaching of striped bass; and to clarify licensing requirements for commercial rod-and-reel fishing boats.
The first bill signed today by Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee creates the Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative, the purpose of which is to support local fishermen and small businesses and to encourage Rhode Islanders to use locally produced and harvested seafood. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Peter Martin and Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski.
“People would be surprised to learn that most fish caught in Rhode Island is shipped out of state and is not sold in local markets or restaurants,” said Sosnowski, chairwoman of the Special Senate Task Force on Fisheries. “The Seafood Marketing Collaborative will research ways to change that. It will support and work closely with the Rhode Island fishing community to promote the marketing of local seafood.”
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