After a Storm Settles

It’s not breaking news that the East Coast has been hammered by storms in recent weeks. Between Superstorm Sandy and the Nor’easter that followed, many along the coast are still recovering from the damage nature left behind.

With our headquarters on the waterfront in Point Judith, Rhode Island, we’re no strangers to dangerous storms. Fortunately, we were fairly lucky with the latest bout. Flooding around our facilities reached about one foot of water; we lost power a few days and had to run off of a generator.

Most importantly, everyone stayed safe. We brought our fleet into port before each of the storms, and our crews were able to anchor down and safely weather the surges. After the storms settled, our fleet returned to sea to continue to bring in fresh catch – Squid, Scup and Monkfish are primarily in-season now.

We are thankful here at Town Dock that we were so lucky. We continue to hear stories from fellow fishermen in the Northeast who are still struggling from the aftermath. Many lost valuable inventory to the storms or are continuing to suffer from damages. Often, those hit the hardest are smaller, independent fishermen for whom the after effects can be most crippling.

As a fishery that relies on supplies from local, independent fishermen, we know first hand how devastating natural disasters can be. We’re continuing to support our fishermen, and urge others to do the same by buying local, domestic seafood to support the industry – now more than ever!

Not sure where to buy local seafood or what might be in season? Talk to your local fish counter personnel or check out your state’s local aquaculture organizations for more information. Other seafood interest groups, such as SeafoodRI.com here in Rhode Island, are also great resources.