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News Release
RI Department of Environmental Management
235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908
(401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
For Release: December 23, 2003
Contact: Gail Mastrati 222-4700 ext. 2402
Stephanie Powell 222-4700 ext. 4418

DEM ANNOUNCES THAT WEEKLY TRIP LIMIT PERMIT PROGRAM FOR SCUP WILL BEGIN ON JANUARY 1

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management has announced that the weekly trip limit permit program for the commercial scup fishery will begin on January 1. Permits will be available beginning on Monday, December 29. Those who participate will have the opportunity to harvest up to 15,000 pounds of scup per vessel in any calendar day as long as the total landed by that vessel does not exceed 15,000 pounds of scup in any calendar week.

The program will remain in effect until 80 percent of the seasonal (January - April) coast-wide quota of 3.5 million pounds is reached, at which point the daily possession limit for all vessels will be reduced to 1,000 pounds per vessel. Those who do not wish to participate in the weekly trip limit program can fish at a daily limit of 2,000 pounds until the daily limit decreases to 1,000 pounds.

To be eligible for the program, certain criteria must be satisfied. If harvesting scup from federal waters, the vessel operator must have a valid federal scup moratorium permit and a commercial landing license issued by the state where the fish are to be landed. If harvesting exclusively in state waters, someone aboard the vessel must possess a current RI commercial fishing license with a restricted finfish endorsement, or a current Rhode Island multipurpose license.

The permit program was first offered last year in response to management regulations adopted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and is designed to reduce discards of scup and allow the fishing industry greater flexibility to meet the objectives of the management program. DEM designed Rhode Island's plan in consultation with the RI Marine Fisheries Council and other representatives of the local commercial fishing industry.

Permits for the weekly trip limit program are available at DEM's Division of Fish and Wildlife office at Fort Wetherill, Jamestown, on Mondays and Tuesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning December 29. For additional information, contact Jason McNamee at 423-1943.

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