Quahogs’ week in the sun

Rhode Island is no stranger to celebrations designed to boost local eateries and promote Ocean State fare. It was unusual, however, to see Gov. Gina M. Raimondo and her husband, Andy Moffit, front and center with the R.I. Department of Environmental Management promoting the recent inaugural “Quahog Week.” It’s a role typically filled by restaurant associations and tourism groups.

“The goal here is to elevate the role of seafood in Rhode Island,” explained Ken Ayars, chief of the agriculture division at DEM. “That’s the heart and soul of what we did for Quahog Week.”

Leading the effort was the Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative, comprising representatives from five state agencies and advised by 10 members of the private sector. It was created in 2011 as a response to “insufficient resources and information necessary to support Rhode Island local fishermen and [related] small businesses,” according to the group.

One of its chief accomplishments to date has been the 2013 adoption of a statewide seafood brand, which distinguishes Rhode Island seafood from others in the marketplace. But it’s also had a hand in promoting other seafood events, such as last year’s Ocean State Oyster Festival and Calamari Festival.

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Quahog Week was the collaborative’s most recent attempt, albeit with increased state assistance, to promote the state’s seafood industry. The DEM says that’s important to do this time of year because people aren’t necessarily thinking about clams and the industry could use the boost. More than 27 million pounds of the large clams were harvested from Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island coastal waters last year.

“[It’s] an opportunity to celebrate the many riches of [Narragansett] Bay and one of our favorite clams,” Raimondo said at the March 21 kickoff event at Save The Bay. “And it is equally an opportunity for Rhode Islanders to indulge in our state’s thriving local food scene and support our restaurants, fishermen and many food-based businesses.”

Sixteen participating restaurants offered signature quahog dishes throughout the week, ending on March 27. Whether the state-led marketing push provided the desired boost remains to be seen. DEM will survey participating restaurants later this year.

David Dadekian, founder and president of Eat Drink RI, believes Quahog Week could expand in the future because when the state takes over such marketing efforts, it takes the financial burden off the restaurants.

“It was a good venture for DEM to try,” Dadekian said. “I don’t know that it generated huge business for anyone … but it didn’t cost the restaurants anything, so that’s the beauty of this type of restaurant week.” n

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