Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating - New Cod Regulations in Rhode Island

Quote:

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management has instated a new regulation pertaining to the filleting of cod.

The regulation becomes effective on January 1, 2012, and will remain in effect through June 30, 2012.

The new regulation, which amends the existing regulation pertaining to the minimum size for cod caught recreationally, is as follows:
Minimum Size: No person fishing recreationally shall land or possess any cod measuring less than 22” total length, or any cod fillet measuring less than 14″ total length.
Filleting of Cod: The fillets or cleaned cod (head and tail removed) shall measure at least 14″ in length, and each fillet shall have at least 2 square inches (5.1 square centimeters) of skin left intact to assist in species identification.

New Cod Regulations in Rhode Island | BoatingLocal.com

Sounds like fillets were creating a loophole