No Fluke

Workshop and public hearing dates set for recreational regulations

By Captain Dave Monti
Posted 1/29/16

A public hearing on recreational fin fish regulations for 2016 will be held by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) on Tuesday, February 9, 6:00 p.m. at the URI Bay Campus, …

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No Fluke

Workshop and public hearing dates set for recreational regulations

Posted

A public hearing on recreational fin fish regulations for 2016 will be held by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) on Tuesday, February 9, 6:00 p.m. at the URI Bay Campus, Coastal Institute Building, Hazard Room in Narragansett, RI.  Regulation options will be presented for 2016.  

Recreational anglers are urged to attend this workshop (and subsequent public hearing on February 16) as this is the time to learn about stock status and voice opinions on regulation options to meet new recreational harvest limits for black sea bass, tautog, summer flounder, striped bass and scup.

First the good news on summer flounder and striped bass

Jason McNamee, chief of the Marine Fisheries Division of the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) said, "The Rhode Island summer flounder recreational fishery will not have to take a 30% harvest reduction in 2016."

McNamee said, "The reason why recreational summer flounder regulations will not have to reflect a 30% reduction is that on a coastwide basis recreational anglers did not exceed their Recreational Harvest Limit (RHL)."  However, the commercial summer flounder fishery did over fish their quota coastwide and they will be taking a 30% reduction in Rhode Island and coastwide.

So summer flounder regulations for 2016 will likely be identical to last year.  In fact the only option presented by DEM at press time for the public hearing is a status quo option form last year… eight fish/person/day at a minimum size of 18" with the season running from May 1 to December 31.

Striped bass regulations proposed for 2016 are identical to 2015, one fish/person/day at a minimum size of 28".

Black sea bass options at press time

Black sea bass is the most challenging regulation facing recreational anglers as we over fished coastwide and must take a substantial reduction (approximately 23%).  Commercial fisheries did not overfish so they will not be taking a reduction.

The BSB stock assessment that anglers hope will prove we have an overabundance of BSB in our waters will likely not be ready for fisheries management decision making until 2018. However, Jason McNamee, chief of the Marine Fisheries Division of the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) said, "If (and that is IF) there is good news in the BSB stock assessment you can bet that fish mangers will push to use the information to set 2017 regulations."  

McNamee said, "The BSB fishery received some 'overabundance' recognition this year when catch limits were enhanced a bit using a new method which incorporates important abundance indices." 

Janet Coit, DEM director, said, "We know anglers are catching a lot of black sea bass and feel that there are more fish around than the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) regulations reflect, but it is important that anglers know we are just trying to set regulations to meet Recreational Harvest Limits that have been given to Rhode Island."

Recreational anglers have made it clear that the one fish limit just did not work last year as taking one fish was inconsequential compared to the volume of black sea being caught. Many angles have expressed a preference to have a higher bag limit even if it means a shorter season.

At press time the four options presented by DEM are noted below. Additional options may come forward at the February 9 public workshop.  

Option 1: reduction based on one fish from July 2 to August 31; seven fish September 1 to October 10. 

Option 2: reduction based on three fish with shortened late season. Three fish from July 2 to August 17.

Option 3: three fish with shortened early season August 10 through December 31

Option 4: two fish early, five fish later with shortened season. Two fish August 2 through August 31; five fish September 1 to October 15. 

Historically party and character boats have relied on an enhanced catch limit of black sea bass in the fall to fish this species in addition to tautog to extend the season when other species are not available.  A reduction in catch limit in the fall will likely harm the fall fishery for the for-hire industry so other proposals are expected to be presented before or at the public hearing.  

Capt. Rick Bellavance, president of the Rhode Island Party & Charter Boat Association said, "With a reduced striped bass bag limit this season our season suffered, however, we were able to extend things a bit fishing for tautog, black sea bass and cod in the fall.  The fear is that the black sea bass reductions, distributed in this fashion will hurt the industry. We plan to work on alternatives that do not impact the industry as much."

Tautog reductions proposed to date

Tautog fishing is another species whose catch limit needs to be reduced. 

The DEM proposal on the table at press time before the scheduled February 9 public workshop is similar to last year with the exception the limit in the fall starts at three fish per angler and does not increase to six fish.  The season also gets extended by 15 days, ending on December 31. 

The recommended regulation option proposed by DEM is three fish/person/day from 4/15 through 5/31, the season is closed from 6/1 to 7/31 and then open again at the same three fish/person/day limit from 8/1 until 12/31.

For all seasons there is a ten fish per vessel limit that does not apply to party and charter boats.

Capt. Rick Bellavance, president of the RIPCBA said, "We are going to explore mandatory catch and effort reporting once again for the industry with options that allow a larger bag limit in the fall, even if charter and party boats are taking less fish in the spring."  Such an option may meet required harvest limit reductions yet not hamper the charter fishing industry. 

All are waiting for the workshop to discuss possible additional tautog and black sea bass options.

After the February 9 workshop recreational fishing regulations will be addressed at a February 16 public hearing.  Regulations will then go before the Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council for recommendations and then to DEM director Janet Coit for her final decision on 2016 recreational fishing regulations.

Visit www.dem.ri.gov for details on the February 9 workshop and February 16 public hearing.

Where's the bite

"Fresh water fishing is not good.  Customers have tried to fish Lincoln Woods and it was tough going.  The ice there is only a couple of inches thick so it is limiting where they can fish." said John Littlefield of Archie's Bait & tackle, Riverside.

Cod fishing remains strong off Rhode Island.  Capt. Frank Blount of the Francis Fleet said, "Cod fishing was excellent last week.  Last Friday everyone limited out and the boat was back at the dock two hours early." Both fresh bait and jigs seem to work equally well.  Fish are still good market size but are less than ten pounds and not many large fish are being taken. John Littlefield of Archie's Bait & Tackle said, "Customers are catching cod on the party boats, it's either hit or miss, but I am selling a lot of cod fishing gear.  Anglers are spooling their reels with 50 pound brand and buying cod rigs and jigs like diamond and Swedish jigs." Party boats sailing for cod fish at this time include the Frances Fleet at www.francesfleet.com , the Seven B's (with Capt. Andy Dangelo at the helm) at www.sevenbs.com, and the Island Current at www.islandcurrent.com.

Captain Dave Monti has been fishing and shell fishing for over 40 years. He holds a captain's master license and a charter fishing license. Visit Captain Dave's No Fluke website at www.noflukefishing.com or e-mail him with your fishing news and photos at dmontifish@verizon.net.

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