For Release: August 20, 1998

Contact: Dick Sisson 222-3075

Bob Ballou 222-4700 x4420

PROVIDENCE -- The Department of Environmental Management 's Division of Fish and Wildlife has announced further reductions in the summer flounder possession limit for all permitted commercial fishing vessels. Effective Saturday, August 22, 1998 at 12:01 a.m., the possession limit will be 50 pounds daily until further notice.

The reduction is the result of particularly high total landings since August 1, which have far exceeded what DEM had projected based on previous landings. If no reduction is made at this time, landings will exceed the quota established for the period ending October 31.

Since January of this year, DEM has regularly adjusted the possession limit to keep pace with 1,742,00 pound summer flounder (fluke) quota for 1998 allocated to Rhode Island by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The quota allocation system is a fishery management tool to help rebuild summer flounder populations along the Atlantic coast. In addition to possession limits, DEM manages the state's quota via three seasonal allocations: 784,162 pounds for the January 1 - April 30 period; 697,033 pounds for the May 1 - October 31 period; and 261,388 pounds for the November 1 - December 31 period.

The possession limits were set at 2,000 pounds daily at the start of the year, then gradually reduced to 100 pounds daily by the beginning of June. From mid-June through the end of July, total weekly landings were relatively low, averaging about 22,000 pounds. Based on these low landings, the fishing industry pushed successfully for an increase in the daily possession limit to 200 pounds, effective August 1.

Since August 1, total weekly landings have jumped considerably - to 45,879 pounds during the first week and then to 53, 770 pounds during the second week.