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Commercial Fishing of Galilee Rhode Island
Generations of fishermen have worked the waters of the Point
Judith Pond, the Rhode Island and Block Island Sounds and beyond
at the edge of the continental shelf. With the construction of
the Harbor of Refuge and the stabilization of the breach-way,
Galilee became the home port to a large, ocean-going fishing
fleet.
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Fishing
Many of the fishing boats working out of Galilee are
large, diesel-powered fishing trawlers. Some of these boats
work the near-shore grounds in the Rhode Island and Long
Island Sounds where they catch winter flounder, yellowtail
flounder, whiting and hake. Larger trawlers make long trips
to the edge of the continental shelf and to George's Bank
where they catch haddock, yellowtail flounder and cod.
Many of these ships use the otter trawl - a large; funnel
shaped net that is spread apart by the pressure of water
pushing two otter boards apart. Weights along the lower edge
hold the net to the bottom while floats along the upper edge
keep the net open. As it is towed along, bottom fish such as
cod, haddock flounder, red hake and whiting are swept into
the net.
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Lobster
Lobster boats from Galilee have traditionally set traps
near-shore in the Rhode Island and Long Island Sounds. More
recently, as pressure on the local lobster population has
diminished supply, they have moved further offshore.
Rhode Island lobstermen set rectangular traps known as
lobster pots. The pots are baited with dead fish to attract
the lobsters and weighted so that they sink to the bottom.
Once a lobster enters the pot, it is impossible for it to
escape. A commercial lobsterman will set from twenty-five to
seventy-five of these pots on a single line called a trawl.
Buoys on the surface mark the location of the pot on the
ocean floor. Lobstermen haul their pots every few days,
keeping legal size lobsters and returning undersized or egg
carrying females to the sea.
Lobster Pot www.RhodeislandLobsters.com
Each year, more than sixteen million pounds of fish and
shellfish are brought through the breachway and unloaded at the
Port of Galilee. In 1948, the fishermen of Galilee organized the
Point Judith Fisherman's Cooperative in order to obtain better
prices for their catch. The Cooperative provides processing
plants, freezing plants, dock facilities as well as
representatives who can deal effectively with state and federal
agencies. Though the Co-op, fish are marketed throughout the
East Coast from Maine to South Carolina. The Point Judith
Fisherman's Cooperative has been one of the most successful in
the country and has been a major influence in making Galilee a
thriving fishing port.
Directions
to Galilee Rhode Island To
the Port Of Galilee From Route 95 North:
Take exit 92 in Connecticut. Bear right onto North Stonington
Rd., Rte 2. Look for right hand turn for Rte. 78. At the end of
Rte. 78, go left onto Rte. 1N. (Look for a sign that says:
"Block Island Ferry"). Travel on Rte. 1N until the
Galilee, Pt. Judith exit, Rte. 108. Bear right onto Rte. 108S
(Pt. Judith Rd.) and travel for approx. 3 miles until a right
hand exit for the Block Island Ferry. To
the Port Of Galilee From Route 95 South:
Take exit 9 in Rhode Island, (Narragansett exit) to Rte. 4. Stay
on Rte. 4 to Rte. 1. On Rte. 1 take the Narragansett, Rte. 108
exit. Continue on Rte. 108S for approx. 3 miles until a right
hand exit for the Block Island Ferry, before taking the Block
Island Ferry whether you go on the "slow boat" (traditional
ferry) or the new High Speed Ferry you should know the weather -
Therefore Know Weather to Go or Not with: Block
Island Weather .com
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