I told you guys I sent an email to the Director of RIDEM regarding the pair trawlers.
Here is her response. I was amazed I got these results:
Dear Mr. Iemma,
Thank you for your note of concern regarding the Atlantic herring fishery currently being conducted in RI waters. I am disturbed by the pair trawling operation in our water, its impact, and the scope of the operation. As you might imagine, DEM has received several complaints over the past couple of weeks, and we are responding in a number of ways.
Our responses involve two areas of focus:
1) Compliance with existing rules and regulations; and
2) Consideration of new or expanded regulations to address shortcomings associated with the current regulatory framework.
With regard to compliance with existing regulations, please see (at the link below) the notice we have issued to the vessels, summarizing all applicable rules and regulations. In accordance with that notice, the Department's Division of Law Enforcement has been conducting regular inspections, and issuing citations in response to any violations. To date, three vessels have been charged with failing to call in to DEM, on a daily basis, as required.
The Atlantic herring fishery is managed jointly by the New England Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. It is my understanding that the vessels currently harvesting Atlantic herring in Rhode Island waters are doing so in conformance with those management programs. I have asked staff to coordinate with the National Marine Fisheries Service to ensure that the landings are being tracked carefully in accordance with allowable catch limits. My understanding is that the regional quota is approximately 60% filled as of January 4, meaning that the fishery is likely approaching a closure.
Several of the vessels currently engaged in the fishery are from out-of-state; some are from Rhode Island. I am committed to taking a careful look at the regulatory program for RI waters to see if we can, and should, adopt measures that would address the current problems, without unduly impacting the interests of RI fishermen and without running afoul of federal laws that prevent states from discriminating against non-residents. One option may be to simply ban pair trawling. I know that issue was explored with the RI community in the past, but was not supported because some Rhode Island fishermen wanted to protect their ability to engage in pair trawling. That perspective may be changing, and I look forward to hearing from our fishermen on that issue. Other options may be to reduce the maximum vessel size and/or horse power standards. Again, I will be looking to the community of interests, particularly RI interests, to offer advice on the best course of action. Clearly, the current situation is untenable. We cannot allow activities that cause damage to vessels or gear, or are otherwise dangerous. And while we can't discriminate against non-residents, we can, and should, seek to maximize benefits for the State from the fishery resources that occur in RI waters.
Thank you for contacting me, and for the blog you sent whch was very informative. If you wish to stay in touch with DEM regarding future developments - both short- and long-term - please contact Mark Gibson, Deputy Chief of Marine Fisheries, at
Mark.Gibson@dem.ri.gov <mailto:Mark.Gibson@dem.ri.gov> .
Sincerely,
Janet Coit
Director
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