Galilee: A Working Waterfront

Galilee: A Working Waterfront. . , One of the largest fishing ports on the East Coast, Point Judith's Port of Galilee generates economic and recreational value for Rhode Island, celebrates the state's commercial fishing heritage, and offers opportunities for fishing businesses to innovate and prosper for years to come. Galilee is unique in its commitment to protecting and promoting its commercial fishing industry. While many fishing ports around the nation are losing waterfront access and shoreside facilities to tourism and development, Galilee is protected by the state, which owns and manages the land specifically as a fishing port., Working waterfronts thrive on symbiotic relationships. Galilee's diverse collection of fishing vessels includes draggers, lobster boats, gill netters, fish trap boats, scallopers, and oyster farm vessels, each contributing to the wide variety of seafood landed here. Icehouses, fuel suppliers, welders, engine mechanics, net makers, safety trainers, and bait aggregators supply the boats with the inputs they need to catch and farm seafood. Numerous seafood dealers get fishermen's catch ready for market., Meanwhile, restaurants, charter and party boats, and the Block Island ferry support a thriving tourist economy. And the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, United States Coast Guard, and National Marine Fisheries Service help assure safety at sea and sound fisheries management., [Captions:] , Restaurants , Family-run restaurants have fed fishermen, locals, and tourists for generations., Seafood Markets , Seafood markets sell locally caught seafood to consumers., Seafood Wholesalers , Dockside dealers buy fish from local fishermen and ship it to markets near and far., Bait Suppliers , Bait suppliers buy skate and other baitfish from local draggers and supply it, salted and stringed, to local lobstermen., Ferries , Interstate Navigation's Block Island Ferry services have made the 13-mile voyage between Block Island and Galilee since 1936., Engine Mechanics , Engine mechanics provide the industry with the best and latest in marine engines, transmissions, generators, and hardware., Gear Storage , Various spaces around the port are reserved for fishermen to work on their nets or traps. Gear maintenance is an important part of the fisherman's trade., Net Engineers , Galilee's net engineers are regionally known for their innovative approach to gear design., Safety Skills , Safety skills training is critical to making sure every fisherman gets home safe and sound., Dockside Sales , Lobstermen sell freshly caught lobster and crabs direct to consumers through dockside sales., Party and Charter Boats , Party and charter boats offer tourists a taste of sea life for a day. Serious recreational fishermen catch enough to fill their freezers., Ice Houses , Ice houses manufacture large quantities of ice so that fishing boats can keep their catch cool at sea., Processors and Freezers , Processors clean, fillet, package, and freeze squid and other local fish., Oyster Farmers , Oyster farmers grow their oysters in the salt pond and use shoreside facilities in Galilee., Fuel Companies , Fuel companies supply diesel to keep boat engines running.