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News Release RI Department of Environmental Management 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908 (401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
DEM INCREASES CATCH LIMITS FOR COMMERCIAL SCUP FISHERY PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management has announced that the daily commercial possession limit of scup will increase from 200 pounds to 750 pounds for a four day period beginning on Tuesday, October 1 through Friday, October 4, for all gear types except floating fish traps. On Saturday, October 5, the possession limit will return to 200 pounds.This action is in response to a notice from the National Marine Fisheries Service announcing closure of the federal scup fishery on October 5; as such, vessel owners issued a federal permit for scup will not be permitted to land scup in any state from October 5 to October 31. Scup will remain available to vessel owners who possess a state license only. Projections indicate that the approximately 370,000 pounds of scup remaining in the Rhode Island state quota will be fully harvested at the current possession limit by the end of the summer period (May - October). However, DEM anticipates that catch rates will decrease once the federal fishery closes and that the four-day possession limit increase will allow industry to fully harvest the quota allocated to Rhode Island without an early closure. This adjustment is part of DEM's ongoing quota management program, which is designed to allow harvesting of quota fisheries for as much of the year as possible. The recreational possession limit remains 50 fish per person until December 31. -30- |
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