250 R.I. Code R. 250-RICR-90-00-6.10

Current through December 26, 2024

Section 250-RICR-90-00-6.10 - Floating Fish Traps

A. Applicability: No person shall set a floating fish trap (fish trap) in the marine waters of the State without first obtaining a permit issued by the Director pursuant to these Regulations. Permit applications shall be provided on forms as prescribed by the Director. (R.I. Gen. Laws § 20-5-1)

B. Eligibility: A permit is available to any resident licensed in accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 20-2.1 upon payment of a permit fee of twenty dollars ($20.00) per trap location. (R.I. Gen. Laws § 20-5-2)

C. Issuance of available permits:

1. General

a. A permit shall be made available upon expiration, revocation, or withdrawal of a currently held permit. In such instances, a new permit opportunity will be made available to the public by February 1.

b. Application Period: Applications for a new permit will be accepted from February 1 through March 1.

c. In cases where a limited number of new sites are available, the Department shall provide priority to applicants as described herein.

d. If application for an eligible site is not received during the application period, a permit shall not be issued and the site will be made available during the next application period.

e. A permit may be issued on an individual site basis or by group of sites.

2. Eligibility: Available to any person who holds a valid Multipurpose License or Principal Effort License with Restricted Finfish Endorsement.

D. Prioritization for the issuance of a permit:

1. First priority: First priority shall be provided to eligible applicants equally as follows:

a. A current fish trap site permit holder who can demonstrate by dated transaction records, as verified by SAFIS dealer or dockside sales reporting, a minimum of one (1) legal Rhode Island landing in the preceding calendar year.

b. Resident crew members who have actively participated in the floating fish trap fishery. To be considered actively participating, a crew must be able to demonstrate via one (1) or more affidavits that they have worked as a paid crew for one (1) or more captains licensed in the State of Rhode Island on a vessel that was active in the floating fish trap fishery. To be considered a paid crew, persons must demonstrate a valid record of being a paid employee of the vessel owner or person licensed to fish commercially, including either a W-2 form, 1099 form, or paycheck stub from a financial institution for the period of time being used to meet the standard of Actively Participating. Affidavits must reflect activity conducted upon a vessel that was commercially declared during the period of activity.

2. Second priority: Second priority shall be provided to any resident who holds an eligible commercial fishing license.

E. Lottery: If in any priority category there are more eligible applicants than there are permits available for issue, those permits will be issued by a lottery on an individual site basis, chosen at random.

F. Application:

1. Application for a fish trap permit shall be made on forms as prescribed by the Director.

2. Application for permit renewal shall be made within ten (10) business days before its termination. Failure to apply for a permit renewal may result in forfeiture of the permit.

G. Permits shall be provided for a three (3) year period, or for that portion thereof expiring on the last day of December of each third (3rd) year thereafter.

H. Permit conditions:

1. Upon ceasing to operate any fish trap as authorized, all gear shall at once be removed by the owner at the owner's expense and to the satisfaction of the Director. Failure to remove the fish trap shall be considered sufficient grounds for prosecution of the owner for maintaining a public nuisance.

2. Unless otherwise specified by Regulations, fish traps shall be completely removed from the water by December 31 annually, including all submerged or broken stakes. No fish trap may be set from January 1 through March 1 annually.

3. Fish traps set shall not be damaged or be in a dilapidated condition. Any such damaged or dilapidated fish trap shall be determined to be abandoned by the Director. Any such damaged dilapidated fish trap shall be immediately removed or rebuilt at the permit holders expense.

4. Reporting: By January 10 annually, every permit holder shall attest to the DEM in writing documentation specifying which fish trap locations were set during the preceding calendar year and which fish trap locations will be set during the upcoming season. This documentation shall identify fish trap locations by GPS, LORAN and/or latitude and longitude coordinates and include the dates upon which the licensee anticipates setting and removing the traps. This notification shall not prohibit a fish trap operator from subsequently, during the calendar year, setting additional traps on licensed locations that were not anticipated and for which notice was not therefore provided to the DEM. However, any deviations from the report must be reported in writing and received by the DEM Division of Marine Fisheries, 3 Fort Wetherill Road, Jamestown, Rhode Island, 02835 prior to the setting of the trap.

5. No permit holder shall sub-lease or authorize another person to use an authorized fish trap location.

6. Hook-backs in leaders: Each leader shall be set as nearly as may be in a straight line. No bend or angle, known commonly as a "hook-back," is authorized.

7. The length of the fish trap and leader shall not be greater than two hundred eighty (280) fathoms.

8. All fish traps shall be marked with no less than four (4) radar reflective buoys (hi-flyers) each positioned no more than one hundred (100) feet from the fish trap or its appurtenances as follows: One (1) buoy shall be located at the shoreward end of the leader; one (1) buoy on the seaward end of the leader adjacent to the head of the trap; and (2) two buoys shall be located on the seaward side of the head of the trap.

9. Fish traps located at sites 13F, 26C, 25B, 398, 122-19, 383-19, 75A, 68B, 69B, 400-23, and 475-30 shall be marked as follows:

a. Site 13F shall be marked with a 5th class buoy with a four (4) second flashing light.

b. Site 26C shall be marked with a 5th class buoy with a six (6) second flashing light.

c. Site 25B shall be marked with a 5th class buoy with a four (4) second flashing light at the southern end of the trap and an unlit 5th class buoy at the northern end.

d. Sites 398 and 383-19 shall be marked with an unlit 5th class buoy.

e. Sites 75A, 69B, 475-30 and 68B shall be marked with an unlit 6th class buoy.

f. Sites 122-19 and 400-23 shall be marked with a 5th class buoy with a two and one half (2-1/2) second flashing light.

g. Each of the above-described buoys shall be positioned within one hundred feet (100') of the head of the fish trap and its appurtenances.

10. Non-compliance with any permit condition shall subject the permit holder to permit revocation and/or imposition of a penalty pursuant to § 1.11 of this Subchapter, and/or denial of a permit renewal application.

I. Exclusive right of permittee; assignment of permit:

1. The holder of any fish trap permit, or the holder's heirs, executors, administrators, successors, or assigns shall have the exclusive right to fish the location by means of a fish trap, provided that the site is and has been actively fished.

2. Any holder of any fish trap permit may, upon approval of the Director, transfer the permit to any suitable person. This approval must be endorsed on the permit in order to become effective. (R.I. Gen. Laws § 20-5-10)

J. By January 31 annually, the DEM shall review all trap site permits and shall eliminate those sites from the list of authorized sites for which a permit has not been issued. The DEM shall provide written notice by registered mail to all those licensees who had most recently been issued permit(s) to set fish trap(s) in the locations of the sites to be eliminated. Said notice shall advise the affected licensee that the licensee may avoid the elimination of the trap location if written notice of such a desire to avoid elimination is received by the Division of Marine Fisheries, 3 Fort Wetherill Road, Jamestown, Rhode Island, 02835, on or before thirty (30) days of the licensee's receipt of the notice of elimination.

K. Minimum distance between traps: The Director may grant a license for the erection of a fish trap within a lesser distance of three thousand (3,000) feet of an adjoining trap if the parties interested agree in writing to such a lesser distance. Such decisions shall be made with the advice of the Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council. (R.I. Gen. Laws § 20-5-4)

L. Maximum length of trap leader: No permit shall be granted for a fish trap in which the length of the trap and leader is greater than two hundred eighty (280) fathoms. (R.I. Gen. Laws § 20-5-4)

M. Willful injury to traps: No person shall willfully or maliciously cut, remove, displace, tamper with, or in any way damage any trap, leader, or pound set by virtue of the permit provided for in these Regulations. (R.I. Gen. Laws § 20-5-18)

N. No fish trap shall be set within three thousand (3,000) feet of another fish trap legally set. The Director may grant a license for the erection of a fish trap within a lesser distance of three thousand (3,000) feet of an adjoining fish trap if the parties interested agree in writing to such a lesser distance.

O. Restricted Locations: No fish traps shall be erected within the waters of the State with the exception of the following sites:

1. The following sites are located south of the city of Newport and town of Middletown within the area designated for floating fish traps by the Army Corp of Engineers:

Trap Site	Coordinate Type	Start		End		Compass Heading (Degrees)	Max. Length (Feet)
		Latitude	Longitude	Latitude	Longitude
13B	DDD.DDDDD°	41.44409	-71.34711	41.44052	-71.34237	135	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4126.645	-71 20.826	4126.431	-71 20.542
13C	DDD.DDDDD°	41.44052	-71.34237	41.43695	-71.33763	135	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4126.431	-71 20.542	4126.217	-71 20.257
13D	DDD.DDDDD°	41.43695	-71.33763	41.43338	-71.33289	135	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4126.217	-7120.257	4126.002	-71 19.973
13E	DDD.DDDDD°	41.43338	-71.33289	41.42981	-71.32815	135	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4126.002	-71 19.973	4125.788	-71 19.688
13F	DDD.DDDDD°	41.42981	-71.32815	41.42624	-71.32341	135	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4125.788	-71 19.688	4125.574	-71 19.404
26A	DDD.DDDDD°	41.45083	-71.30667	41.44726	-71.30193	135	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4127.049	-71 18.400	4126.835	-71 18.115
26B	DDD.DDDDD°	41.44726	-71.30193	41.44369	-71.29719	135	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4126.835	-71 18.115	4126.6214	-71 17.831
26C	DDD.DDDDD°	41.44369	-71.29719	41.44012	-71.29245	135	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4126.6214	-71 17.831	4126.407	-71 17.547
26D	DDD.DDDDD°	41.44012	-71.29245	41.43655	-71.28771	135	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4126.407	-71 17.547	4126.193	-71 17.262
111	DDD.DDDDD°	41.44944	-71.33750	41.44766	-71.34008	225	750
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4126.966	-71 20.250	4126.859	-71 20.404
112	DDD.DDDDD°	41.44766	-71.34008	41.44607	-71.34220	225	750
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4126.859	-7120.404	4126.764	-7120.532
133	DDD.DDDDD°	41.44961	-71.33436	41.44676	-71.33217	150	1100
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4126.976	-7120.061	4126.805	-71 19.930
136	DDD.DDDDD°	41.44676	-71.33217	41.44391	-71.32998	150	1100
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4126.805	-71 19.930	4126.634	-71 19.798
324	DDD.DDDDD°	41.44391	-71.32998	41.44106	-71.32779	150	1100
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4126.634	-71 19.798	4126.463	-71 19.667
113A	DDD.DDDDD°	41.4350 0	-71.28222	41.43143	-71.27748	135	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4126.100	-71 16.933	4125.885	-71 16.648
113B	DDD.DDDDD°	41.43143	-71.27748	41.42786	-71.27274	135	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4125.885	-71 16.648	4125.671	-71 16.364
113C	DDD.DDDDD°	41.42786	-71.27274	41.42429	-71.26800	135	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4125.671	-71 16.364	4125.457	-7116.080
113D	DDD.DDDDD°	41.42429	-71.26800	41.42072	-71.26326	135	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4125.457	-7116.080	4125.243	-71 15.795
113E	DDD.DDDDD°	41.42072	-71.26326	41.41715	-71.25852	135	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4125.243	-71 15.795	4125.029	-71 15.511
113F	DDD.DDDDD°	41.41715	-71.25852	41.41358	-71.25378	135	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4125.029	-71 15.511	4124.814	-7115.226
25A	DDD.DDDDD°	41.45083	-71.30667	41.44726	-71.30193	120	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4127.049	-71 18.400	4126.835	-71 18.115
25B	DDD.DDDDD°	41.44726	-71.30193	41.44369	-71.29719	120	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4126.835	-71 18.115	4126.621	-71 17.831
25C	DDD.DDDDD°	41.44369	-71.29719	41.44012	-71.29245	120	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4126.621	-71 17.831	4126.407	-71 17.547
54A	DDD.DDDDD°	41.41657	-71.28733	41.41981	-71.29246	310	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4124.994	-71 17.239	4125.188	-71 17.547
54B	DDD.DDDDD°	41.41981	-71.29246	41.42305	-71.29759	310	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4125.188	-7117.547	4125.383	-71 17.855
37A	DDD.DDDDD°	41.41324	-71.26933	41.41648	-71.27446	310	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4124.794	-7116.159	4124.988	-71 16.467
37B	DDD.DDDDD°	41.41648	-71.27446	41.41972	-71.27959	310	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4124.988	-71 16.467	4125.183	-71 16.775
116	DDD.DDDDD°	41.45917	-71.30028	41.45659	-71.29538	125	1500
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4127.550	-7118.016	4127.395	-71 17.722
117	DDD.DDDDD°	41.45659	-71.29538	41.45401	-71.29048	125	1500
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4127.395	-71 17.722	4127.240	-71 17.428
501A	DDD.DDDDD°	41.45222	-71.29306	41.44933	-71.28757	125	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4127.133	-71 17.583	4126.959	-71 17.254
501B	DDD.DDDDD°	41.44933	-71.28757	41.44644	-71.28208	125	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4126.959	-71 17.254	4126.786	-71 16.924
287	DDD.DDDDD°	41.47389	-71.29694	41.47301	-71.29030	100	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4128.433	-71 17.816	4128.380	-71 17.418
23	DDD.DDDDD°	41.46556	-71.27528	41.46376	-71.27530	180	600
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4127.933	-71 16.516	4127.825	-71 16.518
383-19A	DDD.DDDDD°	41.47455	-71.24348	41.47098	-71.23874	135	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4128.473	-71 14.608	4128.258	-71 14.324
383-19B	DDD.DDDDD°	41.47098	-71.23874	41.46741	- 71.23400	135	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4128.258	-71 14.324	4128.044	-7114.039
512-19	DDD.DDDDD°	41.48066	-71.23695	41.47709	-71.23221	135	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4128.839	-71 14.216	4128.625	-71 13.932
364	DDD.DDDDD°	41.4575 0	-71.35972	41.4575 0	- 71.36134	270	400
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4127.450	-71 21.583	4127.450	-7121.680
191	DDD.DDDDD°	41.47917	-71.27500	41.47504	-71.27115	145	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4128.750	-71 16.500	41 28.502	-71 16.269
192	DDD.DDDDD°	41.47504	-71.27115	41.47091	-71.26735	145	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	41 28.502	-71 16.269	4128.254	-7116.041

2. The following sites are located near Sakonnet Point within the area designated by the Army Corp of Engineers:

Trap Site	Coordinate Type	Start		End		Compass Heading (Degrees)	Max. Length (Feet)
		Latitude	Longitude	Latitude	Longitude
119-19	DDD.DDDDD°	41.48667	-71.19583	41.48495	-71.20213	250	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4129.200	-71 11.749	4129.097	-71 12.127
581-19	DDD.DDDDD°	41.48444	-71.20389	41.48272	-71.21019	250	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4129.066	-7112.233	4128.963	-71 12.611
580-19	DDD.DDDDD°	41.48389	-71.19778	41.48217	-71.20408	250	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4129.033	-7111.866	4128.930	-7112.244
293-19	DDD.DDDDD°	41.48183	-71.19168	41.48011	-71.19798	250	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4128.909	-7111.500	4128.806	-71 11.878
227-19	DDD.DDDDD°	41.47536	-71.19205	41.47536	-71.19875	270	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4128.521	-7111.522	4128.521	-71 11.925
584-19	DDD.DDDDD°	41.47333	-71.19639	41.47333	-71.20309	270	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4128.399	-7111.783	4128.399	-7112.185
122-19	DDD.DDDDD°	41.47056	-71.19333	41.46925	-71.19981	255	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4128.233	-7111.599	4128.155	-71 11.988
120-19	DDD.DDDDD°	41.46595	-71.19625	41.46595	-71.20295	270	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4127.957	-71 11.775	4127.957	-71 12.177
261-19	DDD.DDDDD°	41.45933	-71.19548	41.45933	-71.20218	270	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4127.559	-71 11.728	4127.559	-7112.130
398	DDD.DDDDD°	41.45278	-71.20278	41.45026	-71.20858	240	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4127.166	-71 12.166	4127.015	-71 12.514
118	DDD.DDDDD°	41.45026	-71.20858	41.44774	-71.21438	240	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4127.015	-71 12.514	4126.864	-71 12.862
58	DDD.DDDDD°	41.45278	-71.20278	41.44774	-71.20280	180	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4127.166	-7112.166	4126.864	-7112.168
79A	DDD.DDDDD°	41.44863	-71.19876	41.44691	-71.20506	250	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4126.917	-71 11.925	4126.814	-7112.303
79B	DDD.DDDDD°	41.44691	-71.20506	41.44519	-71.21136	250	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4126.814	-71 12.303	4126.711	-71 12.681
114A	DDD.DDDDD°	41.49667	-71.12583	41.4917 0	-71.12467	170	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4129.800	-71 07.549	4129.502	-7107.480
29	DDD.DDDDD°	41.42944	-71.21139	41.42440	-71.21139	180	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4125.766	-7112.683	4125.463	-7112.683
614A	DDD.DDDDD°	41.45361	-71.18528	41.44857	-71.18528	180	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4127.216	-71 11.116	4126.914	-71 11.116
614B	DDD.DDDDD°	41.44857	-71.18528	41.44353	-71.18528	180	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4126.914	-7111.116	4126.611	-7111.116
FC-1	DDD.DDDDD°	41.5425 0	-71.31444	41.54444	-71.31167	240	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4132.549	-71 18.866	4132.666	-71 18.700
FC-2	DDD.DDDDD°	41.54083	-71.32278	41.53917	-71.32750	250	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4132.449	-71 19.366	4132.350	-71 19.650
FC-3	DDD.DDDDD°	41.44194	-71.20250	41.43690	-71.20250	180	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4126.516	-7112.150	4126.214	-7112.150
FC-4	DDD.DDDDD°	41.4275 0	-71.20444	41.42578	-71.19814	110	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4125.650	-71 12.266	4125.546	-71 11.888
583-19	DDD.DDDDD°	41.46233	-71.20205	41.45796	-71.20535	90	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4127.739	-71 12.122	4127.477	-71 12.320
585-19	DDD.DDDDD°	41.47583	-71.21139	41.47583	-71.20470	90	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4128.549	-71 12.683	4128.549	-71 12.282
586-19	DDD.DDDDD°	41.45952	-71.20514	41.45952	-71.19840	270	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4127.571	-71 12.308	4127.571	-71 11.904

3. The following sites are located east of the shore in the town of Narragansett north of Scarborough Beach and south of Narragansett Pier within the area designated by the Army Corp of Engineers for fish traps:

Trap Site	Coordinate Type	Start		End		Compass Heading (Degrees)	Max. Length (Feet)
		Latitude	Longitude	Latitude	Longitude
68A	DDD.DDDDD°	41.41876	-71.45272	41.41624	-71.44690	120	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4125.125	-71 27.163	4124.974	-71 26.813
68B	DDD.DDDDD°	41.41624	-71.44690	41.41372	-71.44110	120	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4124.974	-71 26.813	4124.823	-71 26.466
69A	DDD.DDDDD°	41.41454	-71.45230	41.41241	-71.44623	115	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4124.872	-7127.137	4124.744	-71 26.773
69B	DDD.DDDDD°	41.41241	-71.44623	41.41028	-71.44016	115	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4124.744	-7126.773	4124.616	-7126.409
70A	DDD.DDDDD°	41.40875	-71.45376	41.40662	-71.44769	115	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4124.524	-7127.225	4124.397	-71 26.861
70B	DDD.DDDDD°	41.40662	-71.44769	41.40449	-71.44162	115	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4124.397	-71 26.861	4124.269	-71 24.269
74A	DDD.DDDDD°	41.40185	-71.45790	41.39861	-71.45277	130	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4124.111	-71 27.473	4123.916	-71 27.166
74B	DDD.DDDDD°	41.39861	-71.45277	41.39537	-71.44764	130	1680
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4123.916	-7127.166	4123.722	-7126.858

4. The following sites are located within the area of the Harbor of Refuge in Point Judith:

Trap Site	Coordinate Type	Start		End		Compass Heading (Degrees)	Max. Length (Feet)
		Latitude	Longitude	Latitude	Longitude
22-29	DDD.DDDDD°	41.36854	-71.51594	41.36797	-71.51797	250	550
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4122.112	-71 30.956	4122.078	-7131.078
400-23	DDD.DDDDD°	41.36702	-71.51544	41.36633	-71.51793	250	675
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4122.021	-7130.926	4121.979	-7131.075
475-29	DDD.DDDDD°	41.36464	-71.4897 0	41.36273	-71.49224	225	900
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4121.878	-71 29.381	4121.763	-71 29.534
475-30	DDD.DDDDD°	41.3599 0	-71.48999	41.36116	-71.49199	310	650
	DDD° MM.MMM'	4121.594	-7129.399	4121.669	-7129.519

250 R.I. Code R. 250-RICR-90-00-6.10

Adopted effective 3/30/2021
Amended Effective 11/8/2021
Amended effective 7/20/2024
Amended effective 11/18/2024