ATTENTION STRIPED BASS DEALERS!
2023 commercial general category and floating fish trap striped bass tags are available at the Department of Environmental Management’s Division of Marine Fisheries Office in Jamestown, RI, and the Division of Coastal Resources Office in the Port of Galilee, RI. Tags are only available Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4:00pm. Please note that State offices will be CLOSED on Monday, May 29th, 2023, and Tuesday, July 4th, 2023 for State holidays.
As a result of challenges faced in 2022 regarding timely reporting of commercial striped bass landings to the Standard Atlantic Fisheries Information System (SAFIS) that impacted the Division’s ability to accurately track sub-period allocations and annual quotas, the following changes have been implemented for 2023:
- Dealers will be issued an initial allocation of tags based on their compliance with reporting requirements during the 2022 commercial striped bass season.
- To receive additional tags, dealers must complete and submit the required tag reports to the DEM detailing the usage of previously issued tags, and must be up to date with SAFIS reporting requirements.
- SAFIS reporting requirements have changed for 2023:
- Pursuant to Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Regulation ยง7.14(F)(2), all dealers are required to report trip level landings data for striped bass no more than twenty four (24) hours after the date of purchase.
- Dealers who fail to comply with reporting requirements will not be issued tags until they reach compliance.
Dealers may pick up tags or submit tag reports to:
Division of Marine Fisheries Division of Coastal Resources
3 Fort Wetherill Road 301 Great Island Road
Jamestown, RI 02835 Narragansett, RI 02882
Reports may also be submitted via fax (401-423-1925) or email. Should you have any questions regarding the tagging program or reporting for 2023 please contact Nicole Lengyel Costa @ Nicole.lengyel@dem.ri.gov or 401-423-1940.
Please be reminded that the 2023 commercial general category striped bass season opens on Monday, May 29th, 2023. The fishery is CLOSED each week on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The possession limit is five (5) fish per person per calendar day, or if fishing from a vessel, five (5) fish per vessel per calendar day.
Thank you
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