Rhode Island Sea Grant COVID Rapid Response grant
The Rhode Island aquaculture industry, like others in the region, is undergoing unprecedented challenges due to Covid-19, bringing a once thriving, blue-growth industry to the brink of collapse. A recent national survey of the aquaculture industry, representing 21 percent of the nation’s farms, indicated that without assistance, only 24 percent would survive through early summer, with 98 percent reporting lost sales and 42 percent having already laid off workers (ECSGA, 2020). Unfortunately, Rhode Island faces the same grim outlook. Many in the Rhode Island aquaculture industry are doing their best to survive and adapt by harnessing direct/online consumer sales as well as messaging to a wide audience the benefits of eating oysters. However, there are 83 farms in operation, employing nearly 300 workers, and each is experiencing the impacts in different ways. Some are innovating. Some are collapsing. Most of the efforts underway are reactive to the crisis in the short term, are specific to individual businesses, aren’t necessarily coordinated within larger networks, and don’t consider the long-term vision for future industry resilience and fortification against similar threats down the line. Even within these efforts, the industry has requested assistance in making wider and more powerful impacts towards shared goals.
With the grant funds received we are:
- Enhancing the capacity of the state’s aquaculture association to assist growers and provide critical support
- Conducting a needs assessment and responding to those needs (i.e. SAFIS training and direct seafood sales webinars)
- Creating a Public Service Announcement encouraging consumption of local seafood and oysters which aired on TV, radio, and social media.
- Distributing a weekly e-Newsletter featuring info on available relief programs, business support tools, webinars, and other resources directly related to the needs of the RI aquaculture industry during COVID.
- While not aquaculture-related, the response funds were also used to purchase 60 digital thermometers in the late spring which were distributed to commercial fishing captains to enhance safety measures before trips.
- Partnering with Venture Cafe and District Hall Providence to offer free, aquaculture-tailored, one-on-one small business support and assistance.
