Data used in graph is from the University of Rhode Island. Commercial fishing has the most firms (150) and Jobs (1,711). Wholesalers had the most Sales, $M at $246.26 M with Commercial Fishing being the next closest at $88.39 M.
Greg Sullivan (pictured above) is one of the many commercial fishermen in Rhode Island. Sullivan is a shellfisherman and has a boat in Bristol Harbor. Starting this year, Sullivan became a full-time shell fisherman after being a local middle school teacher for 16 years.
Number of Shellfishermen vs. Number of Lobstermen in RI
Number of Fishermen Contributing to the Harvest by Species 2017-2021
Bristol, RI shellfisherman Greg Sullivan (pictured above) said from what he’s seen in 25+ years in shell fishing there are far more shellfishermen than lobstermen in RI. Data from the RIDEM illustrates that in the number of fisherman contributing to the harvest of species from 2017-2021. There was a 411 fisherman difference between Clam, Quahog, Northern and Lobster, American in 2021. Sullivan said that he hasn’t noticed much of a migration of quahogs since he’s been fishing so he doesn’t think climate change has made them migrate much necessarily, but he’s seen far fewer lobster in Rhode Island waters as they have moved further north.
