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250-RICR-90-00-3 INACTIVE RULE

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3.1Purpose

3.2Authority

3.3Application

3.4Definitions

3.5Severability

3.6Superseded Rules and Regulations

3.7License Required

3.8General Provisions

3.9Black Sea Bass

3.10Scup

3.11Striped Bass

3.12Summer Flounder

3.13Tautog

3.14American Eel

3.15American Plaice

3.16American Shad

3.17Atlantic Herring

3.18Atlantic Salmon

3.19Atlantic Sturgeon

3.20Bluefish

3.21Coastal Sharks

3.22Cod

3.23Haddock

3.24Menhaden

3.25Monkfish

3.26Pollock

3.27River Herring

3.28Skate

3.29Spiny Dogfish

3.30Yellowtail Flounder

3.31Weakfish

3.32Winter Flounder

3.33Witch Flounder

3.34Ocean Pout

3.35Atlantic Wolffish

3.36Sand Lance

3.37Cobia

3.38Spanish Mackerel

Title 250 Department of Environmental Management
Chapter 90 Marine Fisheries
Subchapter 00 N/A
Part 3 Finfish
Type of Filing Amendment
Regulation Status Inactive
Effective 04/30/2023 to 05/22/2023

Regulation Authority:

R.I. Gen. Laws Title 20
R.I. Gen. Laws Chapters 42-17.1
42-17.6
and 42-17.7
and in accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 42-35-18(b)(5)
Administrative Procedures Act
as amended

Purpose and Reason:

1.      Proposed amendments to recreational black sea bass management (section 3.9.1):

a.       Proposal #1 (industry proposal): 


·         Increase minimum size for both general recreational mode and party/charter mode from 16 to 16.5 inches


b.      Proposal #2 (industry proposal):  


·         Increase minimum size for general recreational mode only from 16 to 16.5 inches (no change in minimum size proposed for party/charter)


c.       Proposal #3 (industry proposal): 


·         Increase minimum size for both general recreational mode and party/charter mode from 16 to 16.5 inches;


·         Amend party/charter season opening date from June 18 to June 17 (no change in seasons for general recreational)


d.      Proposal #4 (industry proposal): 


·         Increase minimum size for both general recreational mode and party/charter mode from 16 to 16.5 inches;


·         Amend general recreational 1st sub-period closure date from August 31 to August 26; amend 2nd sub-period opening date from September 1 to August 27 (no changes in seasons proposed for party/charter)


 


2.      Proposed amendments to recreational scup management (section 3.10.1):


 


a.       Proposal #1 (regional proposal): 


·         Adopt “private and rental” and “shore” modes (maintain separate party/charter mode);


·         Increase minimum size for “private and rental” mode from 10 inches to 10.5 inches;


·         Adopt minimum size for “shore” mode of 9.5 inches; 


·         Eliminate special shore site rules (adopt full “shore” mode);


·         Party/charter:


o   Increase minimum size from 10 inches to 10.5 inches;


o   Decrease possession limit in 2nd sub-period (Sept. 1 – Oct. 31) from 50 to 40 fish/person/day.


·         Amend season opening date from January 1 to May 1 for all modes.


b.      Proposal #2 (industry proposal):  


·         Increase minimum size from 10 to 10.5 inches


·         Increase minimum size for special shore sites from 9 to 9.5 inches.


 


3.      Proposed amendments to commercial striped bass general category management (section 3.11.2(A)):


 


a.       Proposal #1 (Division proposal): 


·         Amend season opening date from June 1 to May 29;


·         Add additional closed day on Thursday.


b.      Proposal #2 (industry proposal):  


·         Eliminate two sub-periods and adopt single season with 100% allocation from June 1 – December 31;


·         Add additional closed days on Tuesdays and Thursdays.


c.       Proposal #3 (industry proposal):  


a.       Add additional closed day on Wednesday;


·         Amend 1st sub-period closure date from July 5 to July 3; amend 2nd sub-period opening date from July 6 to July 4


d.      Proposal #4 (industry proposal):  


·         Amend season opening date from June 1 to May 22;


·         Add additional closed day on Thursday.


e.       Proposal #5 (industry proposal):  


·         Eliminate two sub-periods and adopt single season with 100% allocation from May 22 – December 31;


·         Amend season opening date from June 1 to May 22


·         Add additional closed day on Thursday.


 


4.      Proposed amendments to menhaden management (section 3.24.2(A)):


 


a.       Proposal #1 (Division proposal): 


·         Provide for a weekly possession limit of one hundred twenty thousand (120,000) pounds per vessel per week provided that the State's quota has not been exhausted or if the Episodic Event Set Aside Program has been enacted in Rhode Island.


·         Remove trammel nets from Incidental Catch permitted small-scale gear types.


 


5.      Other non-substantive proposed amendments (Division proposal):


 a.       Recreational Summer Flounder:  Correct inadvertent error with location of minimum size for special shore sites:  Relocate minimum size from the “Possession Limit” section to the “Minimum Size” section.


b.      Commercial Summer Flounder:  Remove rules regarding the Summer Flounder Aggregate Landing Program in conjunction with relocating these sections to new Aggregate Program regulation (adoption), which will contain all Aggregate Program rules (i.e., Winter I Summer Flounder, Summer/Fall Summer Flounder, and Summer/Fall Black Sea Bass (note this would only occur if new Aggregate Program rule is adopted (Part 23) and the existing Research Pilot Aggregate Program (Part 12) remains expired. 


c.       Menhaden:  Non-substantive clarifications made to language