PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) – Just in time for Rhode Island Quahog Week, the director of the DEM has announced that a section of the Providence River, off limits for shellfishing for more than 75 years, will open on a conditional basis starting next week.
Topher Hamblett is the Director of Advocacy for Save the Bay. He says, “It’s very exciting news, and a testament to all the great progress that’s been made in cleaning up Narragansett Bay.”
The bay has a history of water pollution problems.
Hamblett says, “Anyone who grew up around here in the 70s and 80s can remember the day when raw sewage was washing up on the beaches of the upper bay.”
Quahog Week Kicks Off in Rhode Island
Rhode Island’s Quahog Week takes place May 17-23 and features hard shell clam specials at restaurants and markets across the Ocean State.
May 17, 2021
Celebrate Rhode Island’s fifth annual
Quahog Week from May 17-23 by purchasing, preparing and eating dishes showcasing Rhode Island’s famous hard shell clams. This week-long celebration shines a light on Rhode Island’s favorite local clam, the hard-working men and women who harvest them and the vibrant local food industry that makes them available to consumers. Rhode Island is known for its quahogs and the industry supports many families year-round, both from an economic standpoint, and as a treasured pastime of digging for clams and creating memories together.
RI NEWS
Craving Quahogs? For the first time in at least 75 years, you can harvest them from the Providence River
Thanks to environmental improvements, clams from coves along parts of the river are fine to eat just in time for Quahog Week
By Brian Amaral Globe Staff,Updated May 17, 2021, 5:19 p.m.
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In this Tuesday, July, 28, 2020, photo provided by the University of Rhode Island, Cooper Monaco holds the large quahog he found while clamming with his grandfather in Westerly, R.I.Todd McLeish/Associated Press
PROVIDENCE â Itâs the official shell of Rhode Island. The quahog (pronounced KO-hog, for those who are new around here) is an edible bivalve mollusk, tasty when eaten raw with some lemon juice, or steamed and tossed with linguine and sauce, or prepared stuffies-style.
Governor Dan McKee joined Mayor Frank Picozzi, Department of Environmental Management Director Janet Coit, and commercial quahoggers from the Rhode Island Shellfishermen’s Association to kick off the 5th Annual Rhode Island Quahog Week, which runs May 17 to May 23, shines a light on Rhode Island’s favorite local clam, the hardworking men and women who harvest them, and the vibrant local food industry that makes them available to consumers. As part of the week, participating restaurants and markets will feature quahog-inspired menu items and deals.
As part of the kickoff at Warwick’s Town Dock in Apponaug Cove, Governor McKee and Mayor Picozzi signed Quahog Week proclamations. Participants “toasted” the occasion with a freshly harvested quahog on the half shell. Following a brief speaking program, Governor McKee and Mayor Picozzi joined commercial quahoggers, Jody King and Dave Ghigliotti, for a brief outing on the waters to observe and participate in a quahog transplant d