PROVIDENCE - On behalf of the R.I. Marine Fisheries council, the Department of Environmental Management is promulgating amendments to the state's shellfishing regulations to allow fishermen to harvest shellfish, on state holidays, in areas that are open to winter shellfishing. The changes are a welcome relief for shellfishermen, who have been restricted from fishing three days each year, at a time of year when the demand for their products is high.

The 1999-2000 winter shellfishing season will be open every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from December 8^th through April 30^th. Beginning on Monday, December 6, shellfish harvesting will be allowed in the Greenwich Bay Management Area, Bristol Harbor Shellfish Transplant Area, Bissel Cove/Fox Island Transplant Area, and Potowomut Shellfish Management Area, whenever those areas are open, including the three state holidays that occur during the winter season. The state holidays are Christmas Day, Monday, December 27; New Year's Day, Monday, January 3; and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday, Monday, January 17.

The ban on shellfish harvesting during state holidays -- now being lifted -- dates back to the early 1990s, when overtime limitations imposed on all state employees prevented DEM from monitoring harvest activities via on-water patrols. Conservation officers now work on all state holidays, and as a result, holiday closures are no longer necessary.

Michael McGiveney, president of the Rhode Island Shellfisherman's Association, applauded the regulatory changes. "I would like to thank DEM and the Marine Fisheries Council for promptly acting on our request to keep these shellfishing areas open on state holidays. This rule change allows fishermen access to an important resource at a time of year when consumer demand for shellfish is traditionally high."

The regulatory changes also clarify requirements for bagging and tagging shellfish within management areas. Specifically, the amendments make it clear that all shellfish must be bagged and tagged while the shellfisher is still within the approved waters of any management area. An additional amendment, that involves replacing specific seasonal opening and closing dates with the term "annually," will reduce annual regulatory filing requirements.