Please be reminded that the public comment period for proposed rules currently out to public notice ends at 4:00pm on Sunday, March 17, 2024, 4:00PM.
Thank you
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PUBLIC NOTICE – PROPOSED REGULATION AMENDMENTS
Please be advised that the Division of Marine Fisheries has publicly noticed the following regulation(s) to consider proposed amendments:
- Recreational striped bass management (proposed new section 3.8.1(F)): Proposed recreational filleting requirements
- Commercial general category striped bass management (section 3.8.2(A)): Proposed changes to seasons, subperiod allocations, when possession is permitted, and when sale is permitted
- Commercial striped bass floating fish traps management (sections 3.8.2(B)(6) & 3.8.2(B)(5)): Proposed change to reporting requirements and possession limit trigger
- Striped Bass tagging (section 3.8.2(E)): Proposed clarification to when fish must be tagged
- Menhaden management:
- Proposed clarification of language throughout section; no regulatory changes proposed
- Proposed change to the possession limit and the southern boundary of the Fall opening area (sections 3.21.2(A)(2)(c)(1) and 3.21.2(A)(2)(c)(2))
- Proposed establishment of a weekly possession limit regardless of MMA status (section 3.21.2(A)(1))
- Commercial bluefish management (section 3.17.2): Proposed changes to seasons and starting possession limits
- Recreational scup management (section 3.7.1): Proposed changes to minimum size, seasons, and possession limits
- Recreational summer flounder management (section 3.9.1): Proposed changes to minimum size, seasons, and possession limits
- Proposed clarification to commercial possession limits (several species throughout rule; no regulatory change proposed)
o IMPORTANT! Please refer to the Part 3 supplemental document (attached) for all noticed and submitted proposals under consideration
2. Part 5 – Lobster, Crabs, and Other Crustaceans: Proposed adoption of electronic monitoring requirements for federal Lobster Permit Holders (proposed new section 5.5.8)
- Striped Bass tagging (section 7.13(A)): Division proposal to clarify that striped bass shall be tagged immediately “at the point of sale”. As currently written, the rule does not specify that tagging must take place no later than at the time and location of sale
- Striped Bass reporting (section 7.14(F)(2)): This rule was previously adopted (effective April 30. 2023) but was then inadvertently omitted in a subsequent filing (effective November 20, 2023) via a technical error in the filing. This proposal seeks to re-establish this rule as previously adopted.
- Jonah crab – whole crab requirements (proposed new section 7.17): Division proposal to require that dealers only accept whole Jonah crabs, consistent with harvester requirements (as found in Part 5 – Lobsters, Crabs, and Other Crustaceans section 5.11(C)(2)) that specifies that only whole Jonah Crab may be retained and sold, consistent with the FMP for Jonah Crab.
Please click on the links provided above to view the proposed regulations. Interested parties may submit written comments concerning the proposed rules through Sunday, March 17, 2024. Written comments are strongly encouraged; Division staff are available to answer any questions. Send comments by mail or email to:
Peter Duhamel
DEM Division of Marine Fisheries
3 Fort Wetherill Road
Jamestown, RI 02835
A PUBLIC HEARING will be held Wednesday, February 28, 2024, 5:00pm.
In-person:
URI Bay Campus, Corless Auditorium
215 South Ferry Road, Narragansett
Virtual (Zoom): https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84848688678?pwd=NGNjMW5DMGlWNFdlaFN5cFRhVGU5dz09 [us02web.zoom.us]
Meeting ID: 848 4868 8678
Passcode: 311506
Dial in #: 1-929-205-6099 (listen only)
A RI Marine Fisheries Council meeting is scheduled for April 1, 2024.
For all public meetings, please visit the Division’s calendar page here.
Thank you.
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RuleSupplement_Part-3.pdf