With new studies showing the world’s large fish populations to be down 80 percent over the past 15 years, diners remain eager to eat seafood of all kinds. Especially in South County. Especially at the 19th Annual Charlestown Seafood Festival at Ninigret Park (just off Route 1 south), which takes place this Friday, August 1 through Sunday, August 3. Heather Robinson has taken over as director of the festival this year, and she’s very excited about having 106 vendors, with 45 food booths, approximately 30 of them serving seafood. "People plan their vacations around this event," Robinson says. "You see license plates from all over — South Carolina, North Carolina, New York, Connecticut."

The festival has garnered recognition from local and state organizations as a fun family event and even made it into the Top 100 American Tour Bus Events in North America. But never fear, there’s plenty for everyone.

Last year, George and Joann Werrbach served almost 1000 lobster dinners, as did their friends and former partners, Doug and Linda Pettengill. Working as Lobsters by George and D & L Lobster, respectively, both couples live right in Charlestown. Other local food vendors this year are Finback’s, a Galilee seafood restaurant, and W.B. Cody’s, from neighboring Westerly.

The Werrbachs and the Pettengills serve their lobster dinners with native corn and boiled red potatoes, and their lobster rolls with plenty of lobster meat on hot dog buns.

The seafood shortages are caused by lobstermen and fishermen who "don’t play fair," said Annie Fox, of W. B. Cody’s. "They don’t throw back small ones under the legal limits. The pollution from the oil spills has also killed many young lobsters. We’re always in fear of things depleting and then somebody takes the upper hand and does something about it when it’s almost too late."

The study released in May focused on large ocean fish, from tuna to cod, and it warned of fishing certain species to the brink of extinction. A UN-sanctioned meeting on sustainable development in Johannesburg last fall recommended that depleted fish stocks be brought back up to maximum yield by 2015. And a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association report, which was also issued in May, noted strides in rebuilding stocks of more than 74 fish varieties.

However, most of the 40,000 visitors to the Charlestown Seafood Festival are unlikely to have scientific reports on their minds. They will be on the hunt for the best seafood they can find. Hammerhead from Florida provides an amazing variety — from gator nuggets and Louisiana crawfish to grilled Atlantic salmon and Maryland crab cakes. Bon Appetit will offer seafood quesadillas and seafood shish kebabs. The Charlestown Mini-Super, a small local market, makes a killing by serving just one thing each year: shrimp cocktail.

Last year, Lobsters by George had raw oysters, and they will have their own clam chowder. Charlestown is the only festival they do, because, as Joann Werrbach noted: "If we had to do it every week, it’d be work, but this way it’s fun to see everyone and visit with them. George is a house mover, but he loves to cook — if he’d had more training, he probably would have been a chef. He cooks everything he can get his hands on."

Doug Pettengill and his wife Linda used to drive trucks together, but now he drives by himself and she works at Wal-Mart. They do about eight or nine shows a year to supplement their income. A while back, they were seafood distributors and sold to restaurants in upstate New York, but they gave it up a few years ago. Explains Doug, "The big boys kind of ate us up, and there just wasn’t enough money in it anymore."

Their booth and the Werrbachs’ might be the only two serving lobster dinners this year. The Pettengills also serve shrimp and corn chowder, lobster bisque, and oyster chowder, all from Blount Seafood in Warren. Both couples enjoy meeting and greeting people at their booths, so stop by to say howdy and stay to eat hearty.

Over at Finback’s booth, Dan Ryan is planning a wide variety of seafood dishes: "fish bites," which are fresh pieces of cod with a crispy coating; popcorn shrimp; house-made Rhode Island chowder and clam cakes; and Rhode Island root beer, made in Bristol. Ryan mentioned how at the recent Newport chowder festival, everyone was surprised at how many clams are in their clam cakes — "an extreme amount." In addition, Finback’s has its own special blend of spices, which is also in the breading for the fish bites.

This will be Ryan’s first year at the Charlestown festival, as it will be for Annie and Marty Fox, of W.B. Cody’s. In the seafood line, the Foxes will offer blackened shrimp Caesar, fish bites, and alligator tails. "The price of alligator has leveled out and we’ve brought it back onto our menu," Annie remarks. "It tastes like chicken, and kids love it. They think it’s great to say they’ve eaten alligator."

But the Foxes real claim-to-fame are their slow-smoked ribs and "killer pork" sandwiches. "Ours isn’t shredded," Annie described. "It’s in hunks, and it’s very tender. We smoke the pork butts eight to 10 hours, and we have a special sauce that people seem to really like."

And for those folks who wander into a seafood festival and decide they don’t want any seafood, they can always check out the roast beef sandwiches, pizza, Hawaiian shaved ice, pierogi, fried dough, Italian sausages, spiraled fried potatoes, or strawberry shortcake. Entertainment ranges from 50 Brazilian drummers on one stage to Rhode Island’s Rockin’ Soul Horns, Eight to the Bar, and Brass Attack. Just don’t mix swing dancing with seafood kebabs and you’ll have a great time at the Charlestown Seafood Festival. For more information, call (401) 364-4031 or visit www.charlestownrichamber.com/seafood