RHODE ISLAND SEA GRANT’S EFFORTS TO SUPPORT AND INFORM THE SEAFOOD SECTOR DURING THE PANDEMIC
Rob Hudson*; Azure Dee Cygler; Jennifer McCann
Rhode Island Sea Grant, Coastal Resources Center, Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island , 220 South Ferry Road, Narragansett, RI 02882, rhudson@uri.edu
When the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to interrupt and debilitate the Rhode Island seafood sector, the state, Rhode Island Sea Grant, and a host of partners worked with the industry to develop lifelines to encourage stability and a customer base. While the seafood sector was hit hard, food insecure people in the state also suffered. The need and demand for healthy, sustained food sources in the state has always been present and the pandemic exacerbated the needs, with one in four households in Rhode Island lacking adequate food (see Status Report on Hunger, 2021). Utilizing and leveraging these well-defined and well-managed channels, with partners that have been leaders in these efforts, RISG worked with the existing seafood distribution channels to provide awareness, handling, and preparation experience for oysters, to encourage opportunities for oysters to be used in the future.
Also, s ince the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted seafood supply chains across the country, f ishermen were forced to seek out and develop new ways to market catch. Dockside sales of finfish represented one of these new markets in Rhode Island, complementing long-standing efforts to strengthen connections between local seafood harvesters and consumers. In April 2020, with support from RISG, the RIDEM created a new emergency authorization for fishermen to sell finfish directly to consumers from their vessels at the dock.
RISG also purchased thermometers for the fishing industry help them determine COVID-19 infections which allowed healthy individuals to return to work safely in the confined quarters of fishing boats. The Rhode Island Sea Grant Legal Program (RISGLP) also provided rapid response to state fishermen by working with stakeholders to clarify legal issues associated with the DSDL program, in particular, clarifying issues related to the interaction of the DSDL program with RIDOH food business licensing requirements.
The aquaculture industry was also hit had by COVID-19. RISG responded by: a) conducting an industry survey of impacts to assess need and appropriate and rapid RISG responses; b) link growers with free small business support and guidance through Venture Café and District Hall Providence; c) host a series of webinars on funding support and how to navigate federal/state grants and support for growers; d) distributing a weekly eNewsletter to growers featuring resources, deadlines, events, and support for the industry; and e) directly purchasing local RI oysters to distribute to food insecure communities to help build a future market to this local, sustainable product.