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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 PLANS TO STOCK ATLANTIC SALMON BROODSTOCK IN EARLY JANUARY IN ANTICIPATION OF ICE FISHING SEASON PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management announces that staff from its Division of Fish and Wildlife will stock about 200 surplus domestic Atlantic salmon broodstock in five ponds statewide at the beginning of January in anticipation of the winter ice-fishing season. Winter trout stocking will take place during the same time period.Salmon stocking locations will include Olney Pond in Lincoln, Stafford Pond in Tiverton, Barber Pond in South Kingstown, Meadowbrook Pond in Richmond, and Carbuncle Pond in Coventry. The salmon, mostly between five and 12 pounds each, are from the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Nashua National Fish Hatchery. Additional salmon may also become available from the National Fish Hatchery in Vermont. "These are the domestic Atlantic salmon that we have received for stocking for several years," noted Mark Gibson, acting chief of the Division of Fish and Wildlife. "We are grateful to the US Fish and Wildlife Service for its support and the opportunity this salmon will provide for anglers during the winter ice-fishing season." A current fishing license and a Trout Conservation Stamp are required to keep or possess a salmon. The daily creel and possession limit for domestic Atlantic salmon is two fish as part of the daily trout limit, which currently stands at two per day. Tests by the US Fish and Wildlife Service indicate that although domestic Atlantic salmon produced by national fish hatcheries in the Northeast do have low levels of PCB contamination, the PCB levels do not exceed existing federal consumption safety levels. To protect public health, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, in conjunction with the US Environmental Protection Agency, recommends that those eating such salmon restrict themselves to one meal per month. At present, there is no safe ice. As the winter season progresses, anglers should check with individual communities about safe ice conditions on local ponds before ice fishing, as DEM does not monitor ice conditions in local communities. Ice must have a uniform thickness of at least six inches before it is considered safe by DEM. It generally takes at least five to seven consecutive days of temperatures in the low 20s before ice may become safe. Even then, the strength of the ice is determined by a number of factors such as the size and depth of a pond, presence of springs or currents, and local temperature fluctuations. For ice conditions at Olney Pond at Lincoln Woods State Park, call DEM's 24-hour ice safety hotline at 222-2632. DEM has an ice safety guide that can be found online at its website, www.dem.ri.gov, by clicking on "Parks and Recreation" under "Offices and Divisions". -30- |
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rev. 1/23/09