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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 THAT AGGREGATE LANDING PERMIT PROGRAM FOR SCUP AND SUMMER FLOUNDER WILL BE BEGIN ON JANUARY 3 PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management announces that an aggregate landing permit program for the commercial scup and summer flounder fisheries will begin on January 3. Applications will be available beginning on Friday, December 24th. Those who participate will have the opportunity to harvest up to 2,500 pounds of summer flounder per vessel in any calendar day as long as the total landed by that vessel does not exceed 2,500 pounds of summer flounder in any calendar week, and up to 30,000 pounds of scup per vessel in any calendar day as long as the total landed by that vessel does not exceed 30,000 pounds of scup in any two week period.To be eligible for the program, certain criteria must be satisfied. If harvesting summer flounder and scup from federal waters, the vessel operator must have a valid federal summer flounder and scup moratorium permit, and someone aboard the vessel must possess either a current Rhode Island commercial fishing license (principal effort with restricted finfish endorsement or multipurpose) or a commercial landing permit issued by the state. If harvesting exclusively in state waters, someone aboard the vessel must possess a current Rhode Island commercial fishing license, as noted above. In both cases the vessel must also have a Rhode Island summer flounder exemption certificate. The program will remain in effect until the Winter 1 fishery ends or until 80 percent of the seasonal (January - April) quota is reached, at which point the possession limit per vessel per day will be reduced to 500 pounds for summer flounder and 1,000 pounds for scup. Those who do not wish to participate in the aggregate landing program can fish at a daily limit of 700 pounds of summer flounder with a summer flounder exemption certificate (200 pounds of summer flounder without a summer flounder exemption certificate) or 2,000 pounds of scup. The permit program was first offered last year for summer flounder and has been offered for the past two years for scup. The program is designed to reduce discards of scup and summer flounder and allow the fishing industry greater flexibility to meet the objectives of the management program. It also increases safety for fishermen during the winter months where poor weather is a factor. DEM designed Rhode Island's plan in consultation with the RI Marine Fisheries Council and other representatives of the local commercial fishing industry. Applications for the aggregate landing program are available at DEM's Division of Fish and Wildlife office at Fort Wetherill, Jamestown, or on DEM's website by going to www.dem.ri.gov, clicking on "Fish and Wildlife" under "Programs", and then clicking "Marine Fisheries". For additional information, contact Jason McNamee at 423-1943. -30- |
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