Fluke & Sea bass Comm Regs - Probably won't affect anyone here on S-B directly:

[JohnR]

Just got this off the Rhody DEM mailer

News Release
RI Department of Environmental Management
235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908
(401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
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For Release: April 3, 2003
Contact: Gail Mastrati 222-4700 ext. 2402
Stephanie Powell 222-4700 ext. 4418

SECOND DECREASE ANNOUNCED FOR COMMERCIAL POSSESSION LIMIT OF BLACK SEA BASS AND SUMMER FLOUNDER
Decreases Become Effective on Saturday, April 5

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management has announced that, for Rhode Island commercial fishing license holders, the daily summer flounder possession limit per vessel will decrease from 300 to 100 pounds and the daily black sea bass possession limit per vessel will decrease from 500 to 100 pounds effective Saturday, April 5. An earlier decrease in the possession limit of both species went into effect on March 30.

The decision to further reduce the possession limits was made to try to prevent premature closure of the fisheries. The action is part of an ongoing effort to manage the annual allocation of summer flounder and black sea bass to Rhode Island from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC).

Based on recently reported catch rates, DEM's Division of Fish and Wildlife projects that the quota allocation of 1,077,720 pounds of summer flounder for the January through April period will be harvested prior to April 30. Catch rates also indicate that the decrease in the black sea bass possession limit is necessary to avoid exceeding the proposed allocation for the same period.