Will this do anything to sharp rises in seafood prices?
The campaign focuses on the enormous benefits to be derived by steering more RI seafood to RI markets, for sale by RI seafood retailers and consumption by RI consumers, including residents and visitors/tourists.
Rhode Island's commercial fisheries have long been an economic powerhouse. Annual wild harvest landings total over 80 million pounds, valued at over $100 million (ex-vessel).
These landings
yield a total economic output valued at over $400 million and support over
4,000 jobs. In addition, shellfish farms in RI waters produce more than 8
million oysters annually, with a farm-gate value of nearly $6 million.
It
is striking to note that most seafood landed and grown in RI is exported out of
state and most seafood sold and consumed in RI is imported into the state.
Exports of RI seafood are important and valuable and will remain so. However,
the relatively small amount of RI seafood sold in RI calls attention to the
need and opportunity to grow the in-state market and render it more secure.
"Rhode
Island offers some of the best fresh-caught and cooked seafood in the world and
this federal grant will help promote local, sustainably-caught seafood to a
wider audience," said Senator Jack Reed.
"Fishermen
and shellfish harvesters catch some of the freshest, most delicious seafood in
the country right off the coast of Rhode Island," said Senator Sheldon
Whitehouse. "These federal funds will be used to help get the word out so
that more locally caught fish end up on plates across the state and more jobs
are created on Ocean State docks."
"Rhode
Island seafood is the envy of the world, but we can do a better job of
supporting our local fishermen and shellfishermen right here at home,"
said Rep. Jim Langevin. "I'm proud to have helped secure this federal
funding to shore up Rhode Island's Blue Economy, so that Rhode Island
residents, visitors, and tourists can fully enjoy all that our booming local
seafood industry has to offer."
"I'm
thrilled that DEM has been awarded a $300,000 Saltonstall-Kennedy grant to
support this new initiative that will benefit our local fisherman,
shellfisherman, and the RI seafood industry," said Congressman David N.
Cicilline. "This funding will help bring to fruition years of hard work
and dedication from DEM and Rhode Islanders who have working to strengthen our
local seafood market and economy here at home."
"This
grant provides an amazing opportunity to provide Rhode Island seafood consumers
with more information about our products and develop stronger, direct
connections to Rhode Island seafood. Through the implementation of this
Saltonstall-Kennedy grant, we are poised to do just that," said DEM Acting
Director Terry Gray. "DEM is grateful for the leadership of Bob Ballou,
who wrote the winning grant proposal and is passionately dedicated to expanding
our seafood supply chain to support the local food system."
The
new campaign is aimed at increasing consumer awareness of and demand for RI
seafood products in RI, thereby increasing in-state sales, spurring growth of
the local seafood economy, and supporting a stronger, more resilient local food
system that is less dependent on less reliable out-of-state sources. Shorter
supply chains, or food miles, also have smaller carbon footprints, thereby helping
to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
The federal grant will be used to fund a comprehensive multimedia advertising campaign, coupled with point-of-sale support, spanning all of 2022. The campaign will promote all opportunities to access RI seafood in RI, including retail markets and restaurants as well as opportunities to buy directly from commercial harvesters. All RI businesses that offer RI seafood, and all RI consumers who prefer RI seafood, stand to benefit.
For RI businesses, benefits include
opportunities to increase sales and to derive more value from those sales,
given the appeal of fresh RI seafood in RI. For RI consumers, benefits include
enhanced opportunities to access and enjoy nutritious seafood from local
waters. The campaign will afford more opportunities for RI retailers and
consumers to tailor their seafood sales and purchases to better support the
hard-working Rhode Islanders who harvest and grow RI seafood.
An important corollary component of the grant award is a dedicated study to assess the effectiveness of the marketing and promotion campaign. Dr. Hiro Uchida, Chair of the University of Rhode Island's Department of Environmental and Natural Resource Economics, will track changes in sales of RI seafood in RI, and the value of those sales, throughout 2022 via data provided by a diverse cohort of RI retailers and sales venues.
The results of the study will be used
to determine whether the solid investment in promoting the RI commercial
fishing and seafood industry yields solid, measurable results. RI businesses
interested in participating in this evaluative process should contact Dr.
Uchida at riseafoodstudy@uri.edu
The grant award brings to fruition 10 years of strategic planning and program development undertaken by DEM and the RI Seafood Marketing Collaborative. The collaborative is a 19-member advisory body established in 2011 by the RI General Assembly.
Its membership includes representatives from all key sectors of the RI commercial fishing, aquaculture, and seafood industry, joined by representatives from URI, RI Sea Grant, and a host of state agencies, namely DEM, the RI Commerce Corporation, Rhode Island Department of Health, and RI Coastal Resources Management Council.
In coordination with key partners, and drawing upon a shoestring budget, the group has overseen the development of a strong framework and strategy for marketing and promoting RI seafood, administered by DEM. Core program components include a trademarked RI Seafood brand, a robust SeafoodRI.com website, a Fish Line phone app, and a well-honed social media presence.
These tools-in-the-toolbox will continue to serve as
unifying elements, augmented by the new surge of paid multimedia marketing,
consumer education, and retailer support made possible thanks to the new grant
award.
The
new RI Seafood Marketing Program for 2022 will be rolled out at today's
quarterly meeting of the RI Seafood Marketing Collaborative at the URI Bay
Campus in Narraganset, RI .
For
more information on the RI Seafood Marketing Program, contact Robert Ballou,
Assistant to the Director, DEM, and Chair of the RI Seafood Marketing
Collaborative, at Robert.Ballou@dem.ri.gov. For more information on DEM
programs and services, visit www.dem.ri.gov. Follow DEM on Facebook, Twitter
(@RhodeIslandDEM), or Instagram (@rhodeisland.dem).
Related
links
RI Seafood
Marketing Collaborative