Yearly Regulation Amendments

Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Regulations
Minimum Sizes and Possession Limits

If you have questions, contact Pete Duhamel at 401-423-1927 or peter.duhamel@dem.ri.gov

12/31/2024
POSSESSION LIMIT MODIFICATION

1. Black sea bass:  Beginning 12:00AM on Wednesday, January 1, 2025, the commercial possession will be five hundred (500) pounds per week, until further notice.
2. Scup - general category:  Beginning 12:00AM on Wednesday, January 1, 2025, the commercial possession limit will be fifty thousand (50,000) pounds per day, until further notice.
3. Scup - floating fish traps:  Beginning 12:00AM on Wednesday, January 1, 2025, the commercial possession limit will be fifty thousand (50,000) pounds per day, until further notice.
4. Striped bass - general category:  Beginning 12:00AM on Wednesday, January 1, 2025, the commercial fishery remains closed until further notice (public hearing planned for February 2025).
5. Striped bass - floating fish traps:  Beginning 12:00AM on Wednesday, January 1, 2025, the commercial fishery remains closed, until reopening April 1, 2025 @ unlimited possession limit (public hearing planned for February 2025).
6. Summer flounder - vessels without a Summer Flounder Exemption Certificate:  Beginning 12:00AM on Wednesday, January 1, 2025, the commercial possession limit will be one hundred (100) pounds per day, until further notice.
7. Summer flounder - vessels with a Summer Flounder Exemption Certificate:  Beginning 12:00AM on Wednesday, January 1, 2025, the commercial possession limit will be one hundred (100) pounds per day, until further notice.
8. Winter I Aggregate Program for Summer Flounder:  Beginning 12:00AM on Wednesday, January 1, 2025, the Winter I Aggregate program remains closed.  Beginning 12:00AM on Sunday, January 5, 2025, the possession limit will be four thousand (4,000) pounds per bi-week (permitted vessels only) until further notice.
9. Summer/Fall Aggregate Program for Summer Flounder and Black Sea Bass:  Beginning 12:00AM on Wednesday, January 1, 2025, the program remains closed, until further noticed.
10. Bluefish:  Beginning 12:00AM on Wednesday, January 1, 2025, the commercial possession limit will be one thousand (1,000) pounds per bi-week, until further notice (public hearing planned for February 2025).
11. Menhaden - Menhaden Management Area:  Beginning 12:00AM on Wednesday, January 1, 2025, the fishery remains closed until further notice (public hearing planned for February 2025).
12. Menhaden - State Waters outside the Menhaden Management Area:  Beginning 12:00AM on Wednesday, January 1, 2025, the commercial possession limit remains @ 120,000 pounds per vessel per day until further notice (public hearing planned for February 2025).
13. Tautog:  Beginning 12:00AM on Wednesday, January 1, 2025, the fishery remains closed, until reopening 12:00AM on April 1, 2025, @ 10 fish per day.

12/31/2024
AMENDMENT TO EXISTING REGULATIONS

Please be advised that amendments to the following RI Marine Fisheries regulations have been filed, resulting from the public hearing held on November 6^th and RI Marine Fisheries Council meeting held on December 2^nd:

1. Part 4 – Shellfish (effective 1/19/2025)
   • Amendments to the Providence River Shellfish Management Area (Area “E”) harvest schedule for the period January-April 2025.
2. Part 5 – Lobster, Crabs, and Other Crustaceans (effective 01/19/2025)
   • Amendments to blue crab management to remove the nighttime harvest prohibition and amend the possession limit to 25 crabs/person/day for all harvest methods.
3. Part 23 – Aggregate Program for Summer Flounder and Black Sea Bass(effective 01/19/2025)
   • Clarify the time period when the aggregate is authorized and clarify the closure trigger for black sea bass and summer flounder.