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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 ANNOUNCES CHANGE IN COMMERCIAL SUMMER FLOUNDER LIMIT, EARLY CLOSURE OF SCUP FISHERY PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management announces that the daily summer flounder possession limit per vessel will decrease from 450 to 150 pounds effective Thursday, November 28. The 150-pound possession limit applies to commercial license holders with or without a Rhode Island summer flounder exemption certificate. DEM also announces that the commercial scup fishery will close on Monday, December 2.Based on currently reported catch rates, DEM's Division of Fish and Wildlife projects that the quota allocation of 224,000 pounds of summer flounder for the November through December period will be harvested prior to December 31. The decision to reduce the possession limit is aimed at preventing a premature closure of the fishery. The action is part of an ongoing effort to manage the annual allocation of summer flounder that Rhode Island receives from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Closure of the scup fishery is required by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and complements action taken by the National Marine Fisheries Service to close federal waters to the commercial harvest and possession of scup effective December 2. This action is based on National Marine Fisheries Service analysis of current landings data, which projects that the 1,179,502-pound November 1 - December 31 coast-wide quota for scup will be fully utilized by the end of November. -30- |
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