Section 250-RICR-90-00-5.4 - General Lobster and Crab Pot ProvisionsA. No person except the Director shall place, set, keep, maintain, sell, transfer, or have in his/her possession any pot, trap, car, or any other device used in taking or holding lobster or crabs, nor take, remove, or carry away from the beach or shore any pot, trap, car, or other device or line (warp) or buoy without the written permission of the owner (R.I. Gen. Laws § 20-7-12.1).B. Raising lobster pots at night: No person shall raise or unduly disturb any lobster pot or trap within the territorial waters of this State between the hours of one (1) hour after sundown and one (1) hour before sunrise (R.I. Gen. Laws § 20-7-13).C. Removal of branded numbers from lobster pots: No person shall set, maintain, or have in his/her possession any lobster pots from which the branded numbers have been altered, obliterated, or removed, with the intent to defraud or deprive the owner (R.I. Gen. Laws § 20-7-12).D. Buoys: Each pot used for the taking of lobsters or crabs shall bear a color scheme on the attached buoy consistent with the color stated on the license. In cases where natural conditions render it impractical to separately buoy each pot, the Director may grant permission to buoy such pots in an alternative manner (R.I. Gen. Laws § 20-7-11). 1. Color scheme: The buoy color scheme shall be displayed on any lobster boat used by the licensee such that those colors shall be painted on port and starboard sides of the hull in a section not less than one foot (1') square. Or a clearly painted buoy shall be set at the highest point on the boat excluding the mast and be visible for three hundred sixty degrees (360°). The buoy or colors must be prominently displayed on the vessel at all times that lobster gear fished under that license is in the water (R.I. Gen. Laws § 20-7-11.1(a)).2. No person shall place, set, lift, raise, unduly disturb, draw in, or transfer any pot used for the taking of lobsters unless the color scheme of the attached buoy is the same as the color scheme that is on file with the license application and displayed on the boat used by that person, or unless that person is duly licensed and possesses written permission from the rightful owner of the pot, trap, or other device (R.I. Gen. Laws § 20-7-11.1(b)).250 R.I. Code R. 250-RICR-90-00-5.4
Amended effective 5/8/2019
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Amended effective 1/5/2021
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Amended effective 4/28/2024
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