The following press release from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management was shared to The Block Island Times on Saturday, Oct. 17:
The Rhode Island Congressional Delegation and General Treasurer Seth Magaziner joined Department of Environmental Management (DEM) Director Janet Coit in launching a $5.2 million project to make much-needed improvements at the Port of Galilee. The work will center on the North Bulkhead section of the state port where heavy-duty commercial fishing piers will be demolished and replaced, bulkhead asphalt repaired, and electrical supply upgraded. Slightly more than $3.5 million in Rhode Island Capital Plan funds, secured by the Rhode Island General Assembly, DEM, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and a $1.7 million US Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant obtained by the Congressional Delegation will capitalize the project.
Around 200 commercial fishermen landed 48 million pounds of seafood, valued at $66 million, at Galilee in 2019. The seafood and fisheries industry supports 4,300 jobs across all economic sectors and provides nearly $420 million in economic impact, according to a 2017 study conducted by the University of Rhode Island for the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation.
“Investing
