Remember the fight against the West Wall Fish Traps?

[JohnR]

Got this of RISAA's website:

http://risaa.org/newsletter/traps73002.html

Fish Traps At Harbor of Refuge Approved By Fisheries Council


The Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council (RIMFC), at its July 30 meeting, once again
faced the issue of two new fish traps at the Point Judith Harbor of Refuge.

The issue surfaced in March, when the Thomas Hoxsie Fish Trap Company requested to place a new 700 foot trap on the west wall, and another 400 foot trap on the center wall. At that meeting, dozens of recreational anglers, charter captains, bait shop owners and citizens testified that that the traps were a hazard to navigation, would hinder public access and would deter anglers from fishing on those locations.

A motion to deny the fish traps, made by recreational Council reps George Allen and Steve
Medeiros, was voted down at the time, but the issue was put on hold while a legal problem
was settled because an old application for the trap site was still in existence.

Last night (June 30), the issue came up for a final vote.

Again, Council members Allen and Medeiros urged the RIMFC to deny the applications, citing the issues of navigational hazards and the fact that hundreds of recreational fisherman use the west wall to gain access to deep water and the center wall for boat fishing. "Your taking an area that is used by hundreds of recreational anglers and giving it to one man," said Medeiros.

But in the end, the motion to approve the traps narrowly passed with Medeiros and Allen voting against the proposal; Boragine, Conroy and Cobb voting to approve, and Preble abstained.

The issue now goes to Jan Reitsma, Director of DEM, to make the final decision.