Featured at the Seafood Summit: updates from industry associations, insights into seafood initiatives since last year’s event, and discussions on regulatory compliance, policy, outreach, and education. The Seafood Summit also offers valuable networking opportunities and a celebration of Long Island seafood. Credit: Becky Shuford/NYSG
Contact:
Michael Ciaramella, Ph.D., New York Sea Grant Seafood Safety and Technology Specialist, E: mc2544@cornell.edu, P: (631) 824-4746
Riverhead, NY, March 31, 2025 - New York Sea Grant and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County held a free "downstate" New York Seafood Summit this past Friday afternoon (March 28th, 1-4 pm) at The Riverhead Free Library in Riverhead, New York
Industry players included local fishermen, State/local officials and regulators, aquaculture experts and scientists, retailers, seafood processors and chefs, and seaweed professionals.
The event — one of three held in 2025 for the Summit, now in it's ninth year — included a panel of industry experts, a seafood tasting, and a resource fair — along with extensive opportunities for networking and collaboration.
The Summit also promoted the sales and consumption of local seafood, as well as a seafood tasting.
The summit featured updates from industry associations, insights into seafood initiatives undertaken since last year’s event, and discussions on processing capacity and opportunities. The Seafood Summit also offered valuable networking opportunities and a celebration of Long Island seafood.
According to a 2016 report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, ocean-related businesses accounted for more than 43,000 jobs in Suffolk County -- or more than six percent of all jobs countywide. Their output delivered $2.6 billion in goods and services.
“The seafood industry plays an essential role in Long Island's economy,’ said Michael Ciaramella, Ph.D., New York Sea Grant Seafood Safety and Technology Specialist. “This annual summit strengthens our seafood sector by building mutual understanding and promoting collaborative approaches to problem-solving.”
This annual event, now in its ninth year, brings together seafood professionals and government officials to foster meaningful discussions and industry-wide collaboration. Michael Ciaramella, NYSG's Seafood Safety and Technology Specialist, is seen above offering insights during one of the Summit's many discussions. Credit: Becky Shuford/NYSG
Ciaramella organized this "downstate" Seafood Summit, the second of three statewide Seafood Summits developed by New York Sea Grant to foster active communication, collaboration, and productive relationships among the freshwater and marine fish and seafood industries. The statewide program includes an Upstate Summit held earlier this month in Geneva and a Midstate Summit in Hyde Park, which will be held in late July.
In the spotlight in this "downstate" Seafood Summit, which brought together seafood industry professionals and government officials:
• Fortifying the regional seafood sector
• Possible establishment of a seafood processing facility on Long Island
• Meeting the January 20, 2026 deadline for compliance with new FDA food safety regulations pertaining to food traceability (FSMA 204)
• Enhancing cooperation, bridging gaps, and overcoming industry hurdles
• Strengthening industry infrastructure and controlling costs
• Promoting sales and consumption of local seafood
The event included:
• Panel of industry experts
• Seafood tasting
• Resource fair
• Ample opportunities for networking and collaboration
Attendees engaged with a diverse panel of industry experts, explored a resource fair, and, as pictured above and below, enjoyed a seafood tasting. Credit: CCE Suffolk County
The 2025 summit events bring together seafood professionals (fishermen, aquaculturists, retailers, processors, chefs and more) and anglers fishing for food from across the regions to foster active communications and build productive relationships and collaboration throughout the state. All events are free to participants but rely heavily on grants and sponsorship to support them. Please consider supporting the New York Seafood Summit through donations and sponsorship.
As reported in a Newsday story about Riverhead's Seafood Summit, Suffolk County is moving closer to a government-backed seafood processing facility, officials said, as it explores potential sites and the type of work to be done before putting a proposal out to public bid. At the New York Seafood Summit in Riverhead on Friday, County Executive Edward P. Romaine (pictured here) spoke in support of the idea and a separate panel led by the Cornell Cooperative Extension discussed the services it could offer from a list of potential locations, from Babylon to Montauk. Credit: CCE Suffolk County
Seafood industry professionals and government officials assembled in Riverhead to explore ways to fortify the regional seafood sector, overcome hurdles, and strengthen the industry’s infrastructure. Credit: CCE Suffolk County
More Info: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County
Established in 1917, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County (CCE Suffolk) is a non-profit community education agency that works to preserve the county’s agricultural resources and marine life, protect regional eco-systems, support families, provide community service opportunities for youth, and advance research-based education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
Affiliated with Cornell University as part of the national land grant university system, CCE Suffolk’s staff consists of educators, researchers, specialists, and support personnel who are dedicated to making Suffolk County a desirable place to live and work. CCE Suffolk is a subordinate governmental agency with an educational mission that operates under an organizational model approved by Cornell University as agent for the State of New York.
More Info: New York Sea Grant
Established in 1966, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s National Sea Grant College Program promotes the informed stewardship of coastal resources in 34 joint federal/state university-based programs in every U.S. coastal state (marine and Great Lakes) and Puerto Rico. The Sea Grant model has also inspired similar projects in the Pacific region, Korea and Indonesia.
Since 1971, New York Sea Grant (NYSG) has represented a statewide network of integrated research, education and extension services promoting coastal community economic vitality, environmental sustainability and citizen awareness and understanding about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources.
NYSG historically leverages on average a 3 to 6-fold return on each invested federal dollar, annually. We benefit from this, as these resources are invested in Sea Grant staff and their work in communities right here in New York.
Through NYSG’s efforts, the combined talents of university scientists and extension specialists help develop and transfer science-based information to many coastal user groups—businesses and industries, federal, state and local government decision-makers and agency managers, educators, the media and the interested public.
New York Sea Grant, one of the largest of the state Sea Grant programs, is a cooperative program of the State University of New York (SUNY) and Cornell University. The program maintains Great Lakes offices at Cornell University, SUNY Buffalo, Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Oswego, the Wayne County Cooperative Extension office in Newark, and in Watertown. In the State's marine waters, NYSG has offices at Stony Brook University and with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County on Long Island, in Queens, at Brooklyn College, with Cornell Cooperative Extension in NYC, in Bronx, with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County in Kingston, and with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester County in Elmsford.
For updates on Sea Grant activities: www.nyseagrant.org, follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and YouTube). NYSG offers a free e-list sign up via www.nyseagrant.org/nycoastlines for its flagship publication, NY Coastlines/Currents, which it publishes 2-3 times a year.
