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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: |
September 28, 2004 |
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Contact: |
Gail Mastrati 222-4700 ext. 2402
Stephanie Powell 222-4700 ext. 4418 |
DEM TO HOLD OCTOBER 4 HEARING ON PROPOSED CHANGES TO STATE COMMERCIAL FISHING REGULATIONS
Proposal for a Limited Number of New Commercial Fishing Licenses to be Discussed at Hearing
PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management announces that a public hearing will be held on Monday, October 4 on a number of proposed changes to state commercial marine fisheries regulations.
Also at the hearing, DEM will receive public comments on amendments to the commercial fishing licensing regulations regarding the availability of licenses and endorsements in 2005. A proposal to make available a limited number of new commercial licenses for quahogs and restricted finfish categories will be presented for public review and discussion.
Proposed changes to commercial finfish fisheries include:
- Modifying the weekly landing program for the commercial summer flounder fishery. These changes were developed at workshops with industry representatives held this summer. The proposal calls for the program to begin in February and end in early April, and decreases the possession limit from 3,000 to 2,500 pounds per week. Other proposed changes include phasing out the interactive voice recording (IVR) system and replacing it with an online dealer reporting system, and eliminating the requirement for fishermen to obtain a permit to participate in the program.
- Modifying possession limits, seasons, and quota allocations for the commercial summer flounder fishery. Several options concerning season and possession limits that alter the 2005 management plan for summer flounder will be presented at the hearing. The proposals were developed by industry representatives and by the Division of Fish and Wildlife.
- Modifying the weekly landing permit program, possession limits, seasons, and quota allocations for the commercial scup fishery. The changes to the weekly landing program mirror the changes for the summer flounder fishery. The primary change calls for a bi-weekly catch limit of 30,000 pounds, instead of a weekly catch limit of 15,000 pounds. The scup program runs from January 1 through April 30. The proposals concerning possession limits were developed by industry representatives.
- Modifying possession limits and triggers for the commercial black sea bass fishery. These changes would alter starting possession limits for black sea bass.
Other items being presented at the public hearing include:
- Receiving comments on changes to the commercial floating fish trap regulations. The changes, which were developed by a joint subcommittee of commercial and recreational representatives, were made to make the floating fish trap fishery and recreational boating more compatible by requiring more accurate mapping, buoy markers for the traps, and the elimination of unused sites.
- Receiving public comments on DEM's proposed management plans for the shellfish, finfish, and crustacean sectors.
The proposed regulations are available on DEM's website, www.dem.ri.gov, by clicking on Marine Fisheries under Topics. Copies are also available at DEM's Division of Fish and Wildife in the Stedman Government Center at 4808 Tower Hill Road in Wakefield and at the Department's Marine Fisheries office at Fort Wetherill in Jamestown.
The hearing will be held at 6 p.m. at the Corless Auditorium at the University of Rhode Island's Bay Campus, located on South Ferry Road in Narragansett. Written comments concerning the proposed regulations can also be submitted to the Division of Fish and Wildlife at 3 Fort Wetherill Road, Jamestown, RI 02809 by noon on October 4.
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