Eliminator trawl system. / " title="COMMERCIAL FISHING adds a lot to the character and economy of the Ocean State, says W. Michael Sullivan, director of the R.I. Department of Environmental Management. Above, local fishermen teamed up with URI researchers to develop the fish-saving Eliminator trawl system. /"/>NEWPORT – The R.I. Department of Environmental Management last month began the reconstruction of Pier 9, a 195-by-18-foot pier that about 50 fishing vessels call home.
The $549,000 project, funded by the R.I. Capital Fund, will replace timber used for piles and decking.
The project is important, DEM Director W. Michael Sullivan said in a statement, because commercial fishermen offer much to the state’s “character” and its economy.
Rhode Island fishermen bring ashore about $98.5 million in all species each year, based on 2006 figures from the National Marine Fisheries Services. “Their work is difficult enough without them having to load and unload in unacceptable conditions,” Sullivan said.
The current round of renovations follows a $3 million, two-year project – completed during 2001 – that replaced the Pier 9 bulkhead and paved about 120,000 square feet of parking, access roads and loading areas, according to the DEM. General contracting for both projects was awarded to the Middletown-based Reagan Construction Corp.
For news and information from the R.I. Department of Environmental Management, visit www.dem.ri.gov.
