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GARFO » Seafood Marketing » Major Ports

Point Judith, RI

This small, beautiful fishing village sits at the tip of Narragansett. Narragansett was originally inhabited by the Narragansett Indians
until Roland Robinson purchased it in 1675.  By the 1700s there was a thriving ship building industry and a busy port.  By the 1800s, many farmers began to supplement their income by fishing for alewife and sea bass. By the early 1900’s Point Judith’s Port of Galilee became one of the largest fishing ports on the east coast.

Celebrating Fishing

The Narragansett/ Point Judith community celebrates its maritime history with the annual Blessing of the Fleet in July. On Sundays throughout the summer a farmers market is hosted in Fishermen’s Memorial Park where local fishermen sell their fresh catch.

Recreational Fisheries

Rhode Island marine waters also support a sizable recreational fishing sector.  Pt. Judith remains a key destination in the state for recreational anglers. Between 2001- 2005, there were 66 charter and party vessels making 7,709 total trips registered in logbook data by charter and party vessels in Point Judith carrying a total of 96,383 anglers

Commercial Fisheries

Today, Point Judith remains an active fishing port and a tourist attraction, offering shopping, recreational fishing, whale watching, and some of the most beautiful beaches in Rhode Island. It also has a number of fish processing companies that do business locally, nationally, and internationally. Point Judith’s largest fish processors are the Town Dock Company, Handrigan’s Seafood, and Seafreeze Shoreside. Several smaller processors are also located in the Point Judith area: Ocean State Lobster Co., Narragansett Bay Lobster Co., Fox Seafood, Osprey Seafood, and Sea Fresh America. The Local Catch Inc. is a Community Supported Fishery (CSF), which is like a farm share, but for fish.

In 2013, Point Judith ranked 25th (55 million pounds) in the United States in commercial fish landings and 23th in revenue from fish ($47 million). Most of Point Judith fishing revenue comes from the sale of squid, lobster, summer flounder, sea scallop, scup, monkfish, silver hake, jonah crab, Atlantic herring and yellowtail flounder.  A seasonal longline fishery for tuna also operates out of the port.

Top species harvested in port: Mackerel, Butterfish, Lobster, Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass, Groundfish, Monkfish, Scallop, Skate, Herring.