squid landings on the East Coast . Once an underutilized species , squid is the linchpin of the port . With three processors — the others are Sea Fresh USA and Seafreeze — Galilee also attracts out-ofstate vessels , magnifying the economic impact , says Department of Environmental Management ( DEM ) port manager Daniel Costa .
“ Squid is not a state-restricted fin fish . Other vessels come here because of our processing and they are the ones buying the fuel , the ice , the groceries ,” he says . “ They are getting their vessels repaired here and mending their nets . They are spending a lot of money and that is where we get the boost .”
Rodman Sykes , a longtime commercial fisherman , recalls the days when Rhode Island-caught squid never hit the shore .
“ In the 1980s , a lot of squid was sold to foreign boats . The [ Point Judith Fishermen ’ s Cooperative ] contracted with companies , and big Spanish ships would come and we would sell our fish directly to them ,” he says . “ The markets hadn ’ t developed .”
But two decades ago , the American palate began to catch up and a ravenous appetite for squid helped build Rhode Island-based businesses , like the Town Dock , into major squid processors . The Town Dock , with its own fleet and a network of partner anglers , is now the largest supplier of calamari in the United States .
“ Calamari really started to show up on a lot of appetizer menus at Italian restaurant chains and other seafood restaurants in the mid-to late-1990s ,” Clark says . “ That ’ s when the idea of cleaning and processing squid into clean tube and tentacles for restaurants became established . Our business , which was 100 percent export , gradually shifted to support this new demand in the United States .”
In 2013 , Warwick State Representative Joseph McNamara took some ribbing for a bill he and Senator Susan Sosnowski submitted in their respective chambers designating calamari the official state appetizer . But neither the commercial fishing industry nor the hospitality community saw anything frivolous about promoting one of Rhode Island ’ s most important exports . A year later , it was signed into law by then-Governor Lincoln
For those who seek an exceptional home and life ...
23 Overlook Trail Donna Conway
Scituate
Narragansett
180 Boston Neck Road Claudia Philbrick
Bristol
10 Courageous Circle The Blackstone Team
mottandchace . com Each office is independently owned and operated .
$ 1,750,000 401.241.3971
$ 2,450,000 401.742.2667
$ 3,250,000 401.214.1524
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l APRIL 2021 25