Rhode Island Celebrates Community Effort to Create State Shellfish Plan November 17

Shellfish Management Plan is state’s first comprehensive plan to protect shellfish resources and industries

CONTACT: Azure Cygler (401) 874-6197 or azure@crc.uri.edu

NARRAGANSETT, R.I. – The Rhode Island Shellfish Management Plan, which includes a groundbreaking public/private analysis of one of the state’s signature industries, will be celebrated on November 17 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the University of Rhode Island Coastal Institute on the URI Bay Campus in Narragansett. The special event includes a raw bar and special video screening, and is free and open to the public, but RSVPs are required at https://smp-celebration.eventbrite.com.

The festivities will honor the work of the diverse stakeholders who contributed to the Shellfish Management Plan (SMP), which addresses future improvements for a wide range of areas including enhancing the marketing of Rhode Island’s natural resources, keeping industries viable and productive, restoring critical shellfish habitat, and ensuring proper ways for handling and storing shellfish.

“The ultimate goal here is to make sure people can maximize and enjoy shellfish resources in a way that will continue to be central to our state’s cultural identity and economic future,” said Janet Coit, director of the R.I. Department of Environmental Management, who helped lead the study. “We’re doing the best we can together to make the SMP as responsive as possible. That means lots of old-fashioned conversations to build trust and foster better understanding of the benefits, challenges and opportunities ahead. It’s an exciting time.”

SMP stakeholders and government agencies began working on the plan in 2013, and will continue to initiate the plan’s recommendations. Integrating current shellfish research into the management process will be a key activity in 2015. The full R.I. Shellfish Management Plan is available at http://www.rismp.org/the-plan/.

Rhode Island Shellfishermen’s Association President Michael McGiveney said the process of SMP development has “helped the fishing industry better understand why certain management measures are in place. We may not agree with everything, but at least we understand how and why these laws were put in place, and we’re glad our voices were heard.”

The SMP process was initiated to provide comprehensive policy guidance regarding management and protection measures for two types of shellfish, gastropods and bivalves—such as quahogs, whelk, and oysters—located in state marine waters. Throughout the process, stakeholders—including representatives of the wild harvest, aquaculture, and restoration communities, as well as researchers, managers, and the public—have identified policies and practices to restore shellfish resources and enhance the economic vitality of the shellfishing industry. The plan will be updated as new research and information becomes available.

Three state agencies share responsibility for the SMP recommendations. The R.I. Department of Environmental Management, the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council, and the R.I. Department of Health will be responsible for the administration of the SMP.

Grover Fugate, executive director of the Coastal Resources Management Council, said that the SMP presents an opportunity for cross-agency collaboration. “The SMP promotes agency agility,” said Fugate. “This gives us the chance to respond to issues and needs in a timely and thoughtful manner, with best possible input from the scientific community and the people who work on the water on a daily basis.”

The SMP also includes actions to educate consumers on shellfish diseases. “Cooperation and communication are key,” said Department of Health Director Michael Fine. “The new information from the SMP as well as the interagency collaboration is already protecting the health and safety of all Rhode Islanders and our guests.”

The University of Rhode Island Coastal Resources Center and Rhode Island Sea Grant at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography provided key assistance for SMP development. The Coastal Resources Center and Sea Grant facilitated plan research, development, and community outreach, and Rhode Island Sea Grant funded $1.2 million in research in support of SMP goals.

“It is a pleasure for the URI Graduate School of Oceanography to host this event,” said URI GSO Dean Bruce Corliss. “Especially since the graduate school has contributed to the shaping of critical new SMP recommendations that speak to enhancing the health and use of Rhode Island shellfishing resources.”

In addition to URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography, Coastal Resources Center and Rhode Island Sea Grant, and the state’s Department of Environmental Management, Coastal Resources Management Council and Department of Health, the SMP project is supported by the URI College of Environmental Sciences, Roger Williams University, the URI Coastal Institute, and the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities. Funders are the Prospect Hill Foundation, the Rhode Island Foundation, the van Beuren Charitable Foundation, and the Sharpe Family Foundation/Henry and Peggy Sharpe. Input throughout has been provided by leaders in the industry, including the Rhode Island Shellfishermen’s Association and the Ocean State Aquaculture Association.

The public event will honor the many participants—public and private—who came together to support the development of the SMP, the state’s first comprehensive initiative to manage, protect and enhance shellfish resources that grow in state waters.