Attention RI Lobster and Jonah Crab Fishery Participants
Due to continued available funds to support compliance with the NOAA Fisheries Final Rule and Large Whale Take Reduction Plan, RIDEM is re-opening the application window to assist the industry with weak vertical line replacement.
All lobster and Jonah crab fishery participants are encouraged to apply as activity standards for the program have been lowered. If you have already submitted an application during the first round of the program, that application will be evaluated using the updated activity criteria.
The RIDEM Division of Marine Fisheries will be using economic relief funds to assist the Rhode Island Lobster and Jonah Crab Industry with compliance with the recent NOAA final rule implementing changes to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan for the 2022 fishing year beginning May 1. As part of this assistance plan, weak line and weak links will be available to qualified fishery participants.
The application period for these funds will re-open. The application period will begin Monday, January 24th and end Monday, February 7th , 2022 at 4:00pm. Applications received after the application period has closed will not be accepted. For details on the assistance plan and eligibility requirements, please visit http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/marine-fisheries/Fisheries-CARES-Act.php#Whale
The link for the assistance plan application and affidavit can also be found at http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/marine/pdf/WhaleLob_Affidavit.pdf
For more information contact:
Scott Olszewski, (401)423-1934, scott.olszewski@dem.ri.gov
Thank you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~