Rhode Island PBS and ecoRI News announce their partnership to collaborate and produce a news story about one consequence of climate change and the environmental impact on Rhode Island’s fishing industry.
The story is produced by the award-winning Rhode Island PBS broadcast news magazine, Rhode Island PBS Weekly, in conjunction with ecoRI News. This story streams and premieres on television on Sunday, November 6 at 7:30 p.m. The story will also be available on demand on Sunday evening at ripbs.org/weekly.
Scientists tell award-winning journalist and biographer Mike Stanton, ecoRI News contributor, that the temperatures in Narragansett Bay are pushing some fish species out, while other populations are soaring - including scup.
Scup live primarily in the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to South Carolina. Scup winter along the mid and outer continental shelf. When the temperature warms in the spring they migrate inshore. That migration pattern is bringing them into Rhode Island’s warming waters.
Fished by both commercial and recreational fishermen, the scup fishery is one of the oldest in the United States, with records dating back to 1800. Scup was the most abundant fish in colonial times. Fishermen began using trawls in 1929, which increased catches dramatically. The species was termed “overfished” in 1996, but today there is evidence of a rebound.
Because of scup’s abundance, chefs, fishermen, state economic officials, and environmentalists interested in promoting locally sustainable seafood, advocate that the species become a household dish on tables across Rhode Island.
WSBE Rhode Island PBS transmits high-definition (HD) programming over the air on digital 36.1; Cox 08 / 1008HD, Verizon FiOS 08 / 508HD, and Full Channel 08; Comcast 819HD and Verizon FiOS 18 / 518HD; DirecTV 36, Dish Network 36. Rhode Island PBS is now available to subscribers of YouTubeTV. The full schedule is available to live stream for free within the broadcast viewing area at watch.ripbs.org/livestream. An expansive catalog of PBS series, documentaries, and specials is available to Rhode Island PBS members through Rhode Island PBS Passport.
About Rhode Island PBS Weekly
Rhode Island PBS Weekly is an award-winning broadcast news magazine designed to give the public a comprehensive look at today’s important local and regional issues. Airing Sundays at 7:30 p.m. with an encore on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., Rhode Island PBS Weekly presents a variety of topics using deep research, well-planned interviews, and multiple-source reporting. Employing balanced, reflective investigative journalism and narrative storytelling, the series will take the time to tell the whole story and provide needed context beyond the headlines. To watch stories and episodes on demand, visit ripbs.org/weekly.
About ecoRI News
ecoRI Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with the IRS. ecoRI News is dedicated to reporting on environmental and social justice issues in southern New England. Through their reporting, they shine a light on the region’s complex environmental issues. They are accountable to their readers and the public trust, striving for accuracy in reporting the news, maintaining editorial independence from funders, and operating without hidden agendas or biases. As a nonprofit newsroom, they do not advocate for political causes. For more information about ecoRI News, visit https://ecori.org/
About Rhode Island PBS
WSBE Rhode Island PBS is operated by the Rhode Island PBS Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. WSBE Rhode Island PBS is a viewer-supported member of the PBS network of public broadcasting stations, and since 1967 has used the power of noncommercial media to educate, engage, enrich, inspire, and entertain viewers of all ages in Rhode Island, southeastern Massachusetts, and eastern Connecticut. WSBE-TV delivers content on two channels: Rhode Island PBS (digital 36.1), and Learn (digital 36.2), and livestreams the full 36.1 schedule within the broadcast viewing area at watch.ripbs.org/livestream. For more information about WSBE programs, events, and education services, visit www.ripbs.org.
