Newport

Newport. A bustling port with a long history. , Newport's location is a fisherman's dream. Easy access to Narragansett Bay and "out front" (the open Atlantic Ocean), puts hundreds of delicious species within reach of this well-protected harbor., With origins dating back to the 17th century, Newport's commercial fishing industry has had a long and important presence within this seaside city. Early fishing efforts were focused on the bay and inshore fish stocks that could be reached, fished, and landed within the same day. Most fish, with the exception of menhaden and lobsters, were caught in floating fish traps and sold to dockside dealers. By the 1920s, marine diesel engines extended the range of commercial fishing vessels and fishing efforts transitioned towards groundfish trawling. While floating fish traps continued to land large volumes of a variety of species such as scup, squid, and bluefish, the offshore draggers (trawlers) landed groundfish species such as cod, haddock, grey sole, dabs, and pollock, as well as summer, winter, and yellowtail flounders., Until the 1980s, commercial fishing piers, each home to dozens of commercial fishing boats, studded Newport harbor from north to south. In recent decades, as competition for space on Newport's waterfront increased, the fish dealers left, and the "ground fishery" declined., Newport's commercial fishing fleet is now entirely consolidated here, at State Pier 9, which has been designated exclusively for commercial fishing use to protect the industry and maintain important working waterfront space. The pier is used for gear storage, net mending, and offloading of fish and crustaceans. Today's commercial fishing fleet is small but diverse. The fleet consists of draggers, gillnetters, herring and menhaden boats, rod and reel boats, along with lobster, crab, and whelk trappers. Landings include a variety of species such as: lobster, Jonah crab, sand crab, skate, scup, herring, menhaden, monkfish, black sea bass, tauto, conch (channeled whelk), striped bass, squid, bluefish, flounder, butterfish, triggerfish, and sea robin., One of the bright spots in recent Pier 9 history is the establishment of the Newport Lobster Shack in 2010. The Shack is run by the Newport Fishermen's Cooperative and was established through collaboration with the RI Department of Environmental Management. Stop by the Shack to buy some catch from the local fleet!, [Captions:] , Pulling twine on the John Mack fish trap, 1953 (above). Newport was historically home to several important floating fish trap companies. Fish traps are stationary, seasonally set mesh panels that hang in the water, configured to let migrating fish swim in but not swim out. Every morning, large groups of fishermen cinch the nets together by hand until the fish are close enough to brail on board with dip nets., Sorting the catch at Manchester's, 1954 (right). In the past, Newport's shoreline was home to many important fish companies. Employees offloaded and sorted catch from local fish traps and fishing vessels before sending it to restaurants or fish markets up and down the East Coast as well as inland. The last fish house closed in 2012. Finfish catches must now be trucked to the mainland for marketing., Sail-powered lobster boat at the City Wharf, 1917 (above). In the 1900s, lobster boats like this one could be found tied to every wharf in Newport. Early lobster boats were powered by sail and utilized traps (or pots) made of wood. Today, Newport lobster boats run on diesel and use traps made of heavy-duty plastic-coated wire.,

"I am proud to partake in an industry with rich historical roots in this town. While commercial fishing in Newport has been reduced solely to State Pier 9, the designation of this space as working waterfront for commercial fishing has been really important for our industry. It centers us in the community and gives us space to keep our boats, land our catch, and work on our gear. As a young fisherman at the beginning of his career, I remain optimistic about this pier and its continued success for years to come." - Russell Sylvestre, F/V Haul-In, "The Newport Lobster Shack has really helped to integrate the fishing community into the City of Newport. We've become an attraction for tourists and locals to not only enjoy the local seafood but also connect with the fishing industry. Building the Lobster Shack and starting the co-op has anchored us in this community." - David Spencer, Newport Fishermen's Cooperative, "We have to protect the habitat to have a healthy marine ecosystem because if we don't, we won't have a healthy marine fishery. We've lost species such as rockweed and kelp over the years and now we have invasive species of seaweed like horse hair and that's not indicative of a healthy habitat. We have to keep the waters clean in ways that are safe for our marine life. We as fishermen promote that because we want to protect the resource and the waters that we work in." - Al Eagles, F/V Catherine Ann