October is

National Seafood Month

Move over spooky pumpkins, it’s National Seafood Month! Join us all month long to celebrate sustainable seafood, and the abundance of fresh and local species in the Ocean State. October was declared National Seafood Month by Congress more than 30 years ago to recognize one of our nation's oldest industries.

National Seafood Month is all about encouraging people to make informed choices about their seafood consumption. There's a lot to celebrate because aside from being delicious, locally sourced seafood is good for you, and for the economy. During the month, you can take part in the celebration by learning more about your seafood source, where it comes from, and who provides it. Add more seafood into your diet, try a new recipe or species, and support local seafood businesses. A variety of recipes, filet guides, and other resources are available on RI Seafood's website.

Look and ask for RI Seafood caught by commercial fishermen, as well as seafood grown in Rhode Island waters by aquaculture farmers! When you’re supporting local fishermen, you are also supporting their families, small businesses, and your local community. Sourcing local seafood reduces the percentage of imported seafood in the state (which has historically been as high as 80%) and boosts the local economy. Buying Rhode Island seafood increases sales and consumption of local species in the Ocean State and helps achieve a more sustainable and secure local seafood system, and reduces the number of food miles that occur from the sea to your table.

Show your love to the many fishers and harvesters in Rhode Island! Because of their hard work, Rhode Islander’s can purchase fresh and local seafood year-round, whether dining at a local restaurant, buying directly off the dock, or stopping by a local seafood market to cook it at home. There are more than 2,000 commercial fishing licenses purchased by commercial fishermen in Rhode Island. These license holders depend on the ocean for their livelihood, and are subject to weather conditions, species seasonality, quotas, and a variety of other restrictions. Collectively these fishermen landed 102 species in 2023. The shellfish industry is comprised of 584 commercial quahoggers that harvested more than 15.4 million clams last year. Rhode Island's commercial fishermen ensure a steady supply of fresh, healthy, and locally caught seafood that is a vital cornerstone to RI's food strategy.

In addition to the harvesters and growers, there are thousands of other shoreside jobs that aid in the success of the fishing industry, including dockside offloading, processors and packers, truck drivers, fishing gear suppliers, net makers, mechanics and more. Rhode Island’s fishing and seafood sector is a vital catalyst for our economy that energizes these businesses and adds value throughout the supply and demand chains. The list of individuals depending on the ocean in Rhode Island is entwined in the fabric of the community. According to DEM's Division of Marine Fisheries, in 2023, the economic impact of Rhode Island fisheries and seafood totaled nearly 4,400 jobs and $540 million. The State's fishing industry has recovered strongly from the hurdles that were posed during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and in 2023 commercial species landed totaled $81.7 million in value which was a 9.5% increase since the pandemic.



During the month of October, and all year-round RI Seafood encourages you to connect with the people of Rhode Island's seafood community and #FindYourFresh. Visit SeafoodRI.com to learn more about RI's bountiful waters, where you can buy locally caught seafood, and meet the individuals that work tirelessly to provide it.

Ready. Set. BINGO

Join us in celebrating National Seafood month by taking part in our RI Seafood BINGO! Take a photo with every completed square and send completed BINGO to Jordyn.kastlunger.ctr@dem.ri.gov to win a RI Seafood prize! To win, you must complete a row of squares diagonally, vertically, or horizontally. Complete the entire BINGO card for an RI Seafood Swag bag!  

Contest Rules 

HOW TO ENTER:  

1. Download the RI Seafood BINGO card from October 1 - 31st.  
2. Take a photo of you completing each square’s activity 
3. For every complete BINGO, where you have completed a row of squares diagonally, vertically, or horizontally, send an email with photos and descriptions to Jordyn.kastlunger.ctr@dem.ri.gov to win RI Seafood swag 
4. For every fully completed BINGO card, send to Jordyn.kastlunger.ctr@dem.ri.gov for an RI Seafood swag bag 
5. Valid Oct. 1 – 31, 2024. Card expires 10-31-24 

All photos must be taken between October 1st and October 31st and match a corresponding BINGO square. Photographs cannot include watermarks or other text. All entries must be submitted to the contest no later than 8 PM EDT on October 31, 2024. 

We reserve the right to disqualify any photograph that depicts inappropriate or illegal behavior, or that RIDEM staff determine not to be taken within the contest dates. Photos must clearly depict the BINGO square activity that is being completed.  

Anyone is welcome to enter the contest. However, any prize must be awarded to an individual who is at least 18 years old. Prizes may be subject to change between winners. Prizes cannot be converted to cash value. 

The individual submitting the photograph and agreeing to the terms of the contest warrants that it is their original work. Upon entering a photo in the contest, the photographer agrees to give Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management full rights to use the photograph for marketing and publicity purposes without attribution and the rights to crop or otherwise adapt the photo. The photographer also warrants that he or she has a photographic release from any individual depicted. Winners may be asked to provide a written release of copyright. 

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administrated by, or associated with Instagram/Facebook.   

Don’t let seafood be spooky!

During National Seafood Month, there are 119 RI Seafood locations providing fresh, local, and sustainable seafood in the Ocean State. Look for the sign where you shop and dine. You can search for seafood markets, restaurants, and direct sellers in your area and throughout the Ocean State! The RI Seafood logo ensures that the business you are shopping or dining at, sources fresh and local seafood. Find your fresh and support local seafood businesses using the local seafood finder.

Find venues near you by using the local seafood finder at Local Seafood Finder

⭐⭐⭐ RI Seafood Zodiacs ⭐⭐⭐

What do you SEA in the stars? We SEAfood! Did you know there are a variety of RI seafood species that can be found throughout the year? Each species is unique. Match your birth month to one of them using our RI Seafood zodiacs! Which species are you?  

This is a satirical post. These are our own silly depictions of seafood species as astrological signs and is not supported by scientific evidence in any way.  

Top 5 Spooky Species

Don’t let these spooky species scare you off. Trick or treat yourself to trying one of these delicious RI seafood species! Which one will you be dressing up as this spooky season?

* Projections are based off monthly landing reports from the Division of Marine Fisheries from 2023. Data is subject to the Rule of Three, which requires that all data points be aggregated to include at minimum, three harvesters, three vessels, and three dealers to be considered non-confidential.*

JORDYN KASTLUNGER

Fisheries Marketing Specialist

Jordyn.Kastlunger.ctr@dem.ri.gov

RI Seafood Marketing Collaborative Website