Keeping catch safe till supper is
Sea Grant subject for anglers

NARRAGANSETT -- August 21, 2000 -- If the fishing trip lasts all day, how do you make sure the morning's catch is fit for eating by supper time?

Gutting the fish or storing it in ice or chilled seawater are a couple of options, says Lori Pivarnik, Rhode Island Sea Grant research associate. Pivarnik will outline the basics for maintaining the quality of recreationally caught fish during the August meeting of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA). The meeting begins at 7 p.m. on Monday, August 28, at the Coventry-West Greenwich Elks facility on Route 3 (exit 6 off Route 95).

As a seafood quality and safety expert for the University of Rhode Island (URI) food science and nutrition program, Pivarnik works with the seafood industry to promote maximum quality from the boat deck to the consumer's kitchen. Because recreational fishing presents special challenges for safety, Pivarnik will talk about first-line precautions such as maintaining a safe temperature, timeliness of proper storage, and cleanliness in handling the fish.

Pivarnik's talk is one in a series of educational presentations offered cooperatively by RISAA and Rhode Island Sea Grant. The collaboration adds topics such as fisheries biology, habitat , and conservation to discussions of fishing strategies for RISAA's 450-plus members and nonmember participants, says RISAA President Stephen Medeiros.

# # #

Contact: Tony Corey, (401) 874-6844