Tag Archives: Rich Fuka
The calamari comeback state, part 2? Fishing industry booming in RI following pandemic
Restaurants are packed, outdoor dining has expanded, and tourists are flocking to Rhode Island for the seafood the state is known for. Although the local fishing industry is booming, prices are skyrocketing and it’s all because of the pandemic. During the peak of the virus, prices dropped, and fishermen had a hard time selling what they caught. “Narragansett just happens to be the home port for the world’s largest squid producers,” Operations Manager at Seafreeze Shoreside Rich Fuka said. “In fact, Rhode Island leads the world in squid production.” >click to read< 08:49
Vineyard Wind project in RI moves forward
The future of the Rhode Island commercial fishing industry is hanging in the balance, as the proposal to build the massive Vineyard Wind project moved forward. The media was kicked out of a meeting between the Fisheries Advisory Board Thursday afternoon in Galilee that was presenting the proposed deal with Vineyard Wind to local fisherman that would mitigate the impacts of constructing the offshore $2 billion wind farm. “The clock is ticking,” said Rich Fuka. “They’re trying to expedite this project, and the fishing industry is going to be on the receiving end of a failure.”>click to read<10:50
In 2018, Thorny Issues Ahead – Fishermen versus wind farm, beach access at Napeague remain unresolved
The proposed South Fork Wind Farm occupied the attention of many residents and governing officials throughout 2017 and, if anything, will be a matter of greater debate next year as its developer, Rhode Island-based Deepwater Wind, submits formal applications to multiple federal, state, and local permitting agencies.,, Most recently, commercial fishermen and Deepwater Wind are at odds over reports by the former that their trawl nets have snagged on the concrete mats that cover approximately 5 percent of the Block Island Wind Farm’s transmission cable. click here to read the story 09:41
Fishermen support reversing marine monument designation
There’s a rich fishing ground a couple of hundred miles offshore used by fishermen from all over the East Coast called the Northeast Canyons. All kinds of commercial fish gather in the plankton-rich waters — from tuna to butterfish, from lobster to squid. “We have probably half our fleet that does all kinds of fishing out there,” said Rich Fuka of the Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance. It’s also a distinctive marine environment, with ancient coral and steep canyons.,,, Fuka said nets don’t go deep enough to affect coral and that “the fishermen are well-schooled and well-rehearsed and always participate in anything that has to do with migratory species like mammals, whales, they avoid them.”He pointed out the competition for fishing grounds now also includes offshore wind farms,, click here to read the story 10:34
Industry expert Meghan Lapp says consumers have a role in saving local seafood
Finding fresh, locally caught fish isn’t easy, but if educated consumers are persistent, they will not only help local fishermen, they’ll also help rebuild weakened domestic seafood markets that have been deeply gouged by imports and regulations. Meghan Lapp, fisheries liaison for Seafreeze Ltd., a producer and trader of frozen seafood in North Kingstown, explained these points and more in her presentation, “Sea to Table: Bringing the Bounty of the Sea to You,” before an audience of about 40 people at the La Grua Center Thursday night. In attendance were state Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, First Selectman Rob Simmons and a number of longtime local fishermen. The Stonington Economic Development Commission sponsored Lapp’s presentation. click here to read the story 08:22
