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News Release
RI Department of Environmental Management
235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908
(401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
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For Release: |
November 17, 2003 |
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Contact: |
Gail Mastrati 222-4700 ext. 2402
Stephanie Powell 222-4700 ext. 4418 |
DEM ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REGULATIONS
PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management announces several changes to commercial fisheries regulations that will take effect on November 27.
Changes to the commercial lobster fishery include:
- Requiring in-line lobster traps to have escape vents in only the terminal chamber of the lobster trap, consistent with current industry standards.
- Continuing a current program that allows lobster dealers to sell lobsters taken from offshore waters (Area 3) that are smaller in minimum gauge size than lobsters taken from the adjacent waters off the Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts coast (Area 2.) That program, currently operating under emergency regulation, allows the use of an exemption certificate to land the smaller lobsters in Rhode Island.
Changes to the commercial finfish fisheries include:
- Modifying the weekly landing permit program for the commercial scup fishery to specify when a weekly landing permit for scup can be obtained from DEM's Division of Fish and Wildlife (Mondays and Tuesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and the time period for which the permit will be valid (the entire winter I sub-period).
- Increasing the starting possession limit for black sea bass from 1,000 pounds to 1,500 pounds and incorporating a quota trigger that will drop the possession limit back to 1,000 pounds when 60 percent of the quota is caught.
- Modifying quota allocations for the commercial summer flounder fishery as follows: winter I period - 41 percent; summer I period - 29 percent; summer II - 20 percent; and winter II - 10 percent.
The revised regulations also standardize the specific time limits for appealing actions taken by DEM regarding violations, licenses, and permits. The changes render the regulations consistent with current statutory requirements regarding appeals to DEM's Administrative Adjudication Division. As revised, there is as 30-day time limit for appeals pertaining to licenses and permits and a 20-day limit for appeals pertaining to the enforcement actions.
The regulatory changes were subject to public review and comment during a 35-day public comment period and a public hearing held on October 14. The changes were also reviewed by the RI Marine Fisheries Council, which recommended adoption of all of the proposals.
The final regulations have been filed with the Secretary of State's Office and are available on line at www.dem.ri.gov by clicking on programs, then fish and wildlife, and then marine fisheries.
DEM has also filed revised management plans for the shellfish, finfish and crustacean sectors, which serve as the basis for management decisions regarding the availability of new commercial fishing licenses and endorsements for the coming year. Regulations governing the license program are expected to be finalized and filed within the next week.
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