Rhode Island quahoggers are facing mounting financial losses following a sewage spill that forced the closure of key shellfishing waters in the Providence River.
“It’s gut-wrenching,” said quahogger Jim Boyd.
“Devastated, to be honest with you,” added full-time commercial shellfisherman Dave Ghigliotty.
The May 4 spill, caused by a broken pipe in East Providence, released 880,000 gallons of sewage into Narragansett Bay, according to Rhode Island’s Department of Environmental Management (DEM). In response, the DEM closed the 16E shellfishing area, one of the most productive clam beds in the state.
Fishermen say the difference between Area 16E and the rest of the bay is dramatic.
“It’s three to four times better than any of the areas that we can fish,” said Michael McGiveney, President of the Rhode Island Shellfisherman’s Association.
“There’s more quahogs there,” Ghigliotty explained. “There’s more fishing, there’s more ground, there’s more virgin territory.”
Area 16E is located in the waters between Warwick’s Conimicut and Barrington’s Annawomscutt neighborhoods. The territory was closed for decades because of pollution, but after extensive cleanup efforts by the Narragansett Bay Commission, the area was deemed clean enough for shellfishing five years ago, according to the Providence Journal. Since the area had been closed off for so long, the shellfish populations are more robust, explained McGiveney.
So far, shellfishermen have lost two days of harvesting in the area, and are expected to lose another day of fishing on Wednesday.
“That’s about a $450 day,” said Jody King, another veteran shellfisherman. “[In the] regular part of the bay, Area A, I’m gonna scratch out $120 on a good day.”
Test results on shellfish meats are expected from the Department of Health on Thursday, said DEM environmental scientist David Borkman. If they come back clean, the area will be reopened, he explained.
Tough Timing
The spill comes at a difficult time for Rhode Island’s shellfishing industry. Many fishermen lost weeks of work over the winter when thick ice sealed off coves across Narragansett Bay. When spring arrived, quahoggers hoped to recover financially.
Shellfishermen earn most of their income during the warmer months. Quahoggers like Ghigliotty were heartened by a new DEM rule increasing the time that they could access 16E from 24 days to 64 days.
“Like a lot of the guys, we just had some seriously high hopes for this area,” said Ghigliotty.
Until area 16E reopens, many shellfishermen are making tough choices. Rising fuel prices have further cut into margins. Many are deciding whether it is worth it to spend time fishing less productive waters.
“After you pay your taxes and pay all of the incidentals… you’re not left with a whole heck of a lot,” Ghigliotty added.
Ripple Effects for Shellfish Industry
The spill is also creating ripple effects across Rhode Island’s seafood supply chain.
Robert E. Smith, President at wholesaler Rhode Island Clam, has worked in the shellfish industry for over 50 years. He said the timing of the spill is particularly difficult, ahead of Memorial Day Weekend.
“The timing is absolutely horrendous,” said Smith. “It’s two weeks prior to the start of summer.”
Smith already sells out-of-state shellfish, but it’s often not what consumers want.
“Our customer base really is interested in what we produce in Rhode Island,” said Smith. “However, if that’s all we produced, we’d be out of business a long time ago.”
Sourcing from out of state poses difficulties for Smith. It is more competitive, especially if neighboring states see a good deal of demand, he explained.
Because of the closure of area 16E, Smith says he will have trouble fulfilling orders he has already taken, and will be “extremely limited” in the orders he can take.
“We’ll get through it, but we’ll we’re not making any friends by continuously taking orders that we can fill on a Monday and then completely falling down on a Wednesday,” he said.
Chris Trosin is the co-owner of Metro Lobster and Seafood, a wholesale distributor for some 500 restaurants. He relies on Massachusetts, Maine, and Virginia clams when Rhode Island shellfish aren’t available.
Although he has a product to sell, he agrees that it’s not the preference of customers.
“Everyone wants local necks and there’s not enough to go around,” said Trosin. “If you take Virginias, it’s just not the same.”
However, his chief concern is the health of the overall quahog industry. Closures make it tougher for quahoggers to make a living, and the population of fishermen is aging, he points out.
According to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, 74% of quahoggers are more than 50 years old. And about a quarter of quahoggers are between 63 and 70 years old.
Accountability
Some fishermen are now demanding accountability from the city of East Providence for the accident.
“The infrastructure is falling apart,” King said. “I want the City of East Providence to pay my paycheck for every day that I’m missing in the Providence River.”
In an email, East Providence’s communications manager wrote: “Mayor DaSilva is deeply disappointed by this incident. While unforeseen, it has serious consequences for our natural resources and the shell fishing industry. We are committed to taking every necessary step to ensure this never happens again.”
The DEM is currently investigating the issue, according to a press release. They are expected to complete a “fact-finding” phase before determining whether the agency will pursue enforcement.
In previous pollution incidents, DEM officials have used environmental fines to fund shellfish restoration projects employing local fishermen, according to DEM marine biologist Anna Gerber-Williams.
“It’s not always guaranteed that that money comes this direction, but that has been the decision in the past,” she said.
Fisherman Jim Boyd argues that this practice should become an official rule.
“For those of us who make our living on the bay, we’re gonna lose income this year because of this sewer spill through no fault of our own,” Boyd said.
Dave Ghigliotty said he hopes that the state will provide quahoggers assistance.
Meanwhile, Jody King said he is interested in organizing fishermen to pursue legal action for lost income. But, he admits, it can be challenging to get independent-minded quahoggers to band together.
DEM marine biologist Gerber-Williams says it will take time for the sewage to dilute and for the tides to flush contaminated water out of the bay. Once the water has returned to normal, shellfish usually take a week to “depurate,” or purge contaminants from their systems, she explained.
“The Rhode Island DEM Office of Water Resources Shellfish Program is going to be out testing on a regular basis,” Gerber-Williams said, “looking at the water quality and testing the shellfish to make sure bacteria levels and other things are back down to normal levels.”
For Rhode Island’s shellfishermen, it’s a costly waiting game.
“I just want to hear, ‘Guys, it’s open. Go to work,’” Ghigliotty said. “And hopefully that’s soon.”
