PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management has announced that the taking and possession of black sea bass by commercially licensed persons, and the purchase of such black sea bass by Rhode Island dealers, will be prohibited beginning Monday, December 20 until midnight on December 31. The state closure comes on the heels of, and is consistent with, a federal closure announced this week by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

The harvest and landing of black sea bass from October through December annually is regulated by a federally mandated possession limit. The closure is necessary to ensure that landings of black sea bass do not exceed the period quota of 598,000 pounds.

Patricia Kurkel, regional administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service, notified commercial fishing vessel permit holders and federally permitted black sea bass dealers that federally permitted vessels may no longer land black sea bass for the remainder of 1999, and advised dealers holding federal dealer permits that they may not purchases black sea bass from federally permitted vessels.

Because federal regulations apply only to federally permitted dealers and fishermen fishing in federal waters, it is necessary for DEM to impose similar restrictions which effect non-federally permitted fishermen who fish within Rhode Island waters, as well as non-federally permitted dealers who purchase black sea bass from these fishermen.