Newport Lobster Shack Cooperative expands waterfront offerings

The Westerly Sun   ·   Link to Article

PROVIDENCE — The state Department of Environmental Management, in partnership with the fishermen of Newport, hosted a grand opening last week at State Pier Nine in Newport for the new Newport Lobster Shack Kitchen.

The kitchen is an outgrowth of the Newport Lobster Shack Cooperative at the state pier on Long Wharf, where fishermen have been selling their catch — lobsters, crabs and conch — directly to the public since 2010. Now, with the new kitchen facility, the public has an opportunity to buy freshly cooked items made directly from lobsters landed at Pier Nine. Visitors to Newport can now enjoy an affordable seafood meal “picnic-style” under the shade pavilion.

DEM Director Janet Coit said the co-op is a powerful model for the survival of local fisheries because the fishermen can earn better value for their catch by selling directly to the public.

Coit noted that this collaborative initiative is one of DEM’s efforts to add economic value to the Rhode Island fishing industry. “All of the Kitchen’s menu items including fresh steamed lobster, lobster rolls, lobster bites, lobster cakes, and hand-picked local lobster meat come straight from the lobsters plucked by fishermen in local waters and landed right here at State Pier Nine,” she said.

Lobster typically ranks as Rhode Island’s second most valuable commercial fishery, behind squid. Lobster landings in Rhode Island (including dockside sales) in 2013 totaled 2.1 million pounds for a value of $9.7 million. Approximately 645,000 pounds were harvested by Newport fishermen for a value of $3.1 million. As Rhode Island-landed lobster are processed and move into the wholesale and retail markets, the total value of the fishery increases substantially — likely approaching $28 million — making it a crucial part of the state’s economy, the department said. Rhode Island has approximately 250 lobster fishermen, with 45 landing lobster in Newport.

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said he hoped that the kitchen would be a boon to the co-op’s business and draw more people to the wtaterfront. Reed has worked with Rhode Island lobstermen over the years to secure federal funding for lobster gear exchanges and an ongoing lobster data collection project led by the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation. Reed has also been a champion of the “eat local” and tide-to-table movement. The senator also announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce will be providing another $190,000 in federal funding for the University of Rhode Island, in cooperation with the Rhode Island Lobsterman’s Association and others, to design and test new types of lobster and crab gear.

In addition to the Lobster Shack and Lobster Shack Kitchen, Pier Nine is the site of a farmers’ market that opened in collaboration between DEM and the Pier Nine fishermen in 2011. Located at the edge of Newport Harbor, the market is open Fridays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. through October. The family-friendly Newport Lobster Shack Kitchen is open daily from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

President of the Senate M. Teresa Paiva Weed said, “This is a creative partnership that helps keep jobs in Rhode Island. The Newport Lobster Shack Kitchen supports an important industry, enabling fishermen to market locally harvested and locally prepared seafood direct to consumers. It wouldn’t have been possible without Director Janet Coit, and the Senate appreciates her commitment to working with the state’s fishermen to help maintain this vital industry.”

Rep. Deborah Ruggiero of Jamestown added, “The fishing industry is so important to our state’s economy and I am thrilled about the opening of the Newport Lobster Shack Kitchen.”

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