250 R.I. Code R. 250-RICR-90-00-6.7

Current through December 26, 2024

Section 250-RICR-90-00-6.7 - Gillnetting

A. Gillnetting for bait:

1. Bait gillnets must be clearly labeled with the name of the person setting or tending the net and be constantly tended.

2. A bait gillnet shall not exceed one hundred (100) feet nor exceed a mesh size greater than three and three quarter (3-3/4) inches stretched.

B. Prohibited areas: In addition to those areas where all netting is prohibited, and with the exception of gillnetting for bait, commercial gillnetting is prohibited in the following areas:

1. In all coastal salt ponds.

2. In Little Narragansett Bay and the Pawcatuck River northeast and inland of a line extending from the southern end of Sandy Point Island to a point of land on the northern shore of Napatree Point in the town of Westerly.

3. Within one and one half (1-1/2) nautical miles south and west of Napatree Point.

4. Within one half (1/2) nautical miles in both directions of the seaward entrance to a coastal salt pond channel, and for a distance of nine hundred (900) feet seaward, when such coastal salt pond is open to the sea.

6. Within one half (1/2) nautical miles of Block Island between April 15 and November 15.

7. Within one hundred fifty (150) feet of the Rhode Island coastline (mean high water line) from October 15 through December 31.

8. Within one hundred fifty (150) feet of the Rhode Island coastline (mean high tide line) in the following areas:

a. From Monahan's Dock breakwater (State Pier #5) to Matunuck Point.

b. In Narragansett Bay.

d. From the Sachuest Point to the juncture of Second Beach and Sachuest Point in the town of Middletown; and,

e. From the Price's Neck to Castle Hill Light in the city of Newport.

C. Gillnets shall be connected in a continuous series not to exceed three thousand linear (3,000) feet.

D. Setting pattern: Each gillnet shall be set in a straight line (from one end buoy to the other).

E. No person shall set, haul, or maintain a gillnet within three thousand (3,000) feet of a licensed floating fish trap.

F. No person shall set, haul, and/or maintain a gillnet in the marine waters of Rhode Island during the month of March, annually.

G. No person shall take or possess any striped bass while gillnetting, or while hauling a gillnet, including while gill netting for bait.

H. Marking of gillnets with buoys

1. Both ends of a gill net shall be marked with an orange or fluorescent orange bullet shaped buoy with a size of nine (9) inches by sixteen (16) inches, and be clearly marked with the letters "GN" with a minimum letter height of three (3) inches and include the name and license number of the licensee.

2. For gill nets set, hauled, and/or maintained south of the Colregs line, all buoy lines must be marked with three (3) individual green colored marks measuring twelve (12) inches: one (1) at the top, one (1) at the midway point, and one (1) at the bottom of each buoy line.

I. Tagging of gillnets

1. Vessels permitted and participating in the gillnet tagging program administered by the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Office, and which are not participating in the Rhode Island tagging program, may transit the marine waters of Rhode Island with gillnets on board the vessel only if all gillnets are stowed, and, when applicable, have the Federal gillnet tags permanently attached.

2. No gillnet shall be set, hauled and/or maintained in the marine waters of Rhode Island without permanently attached non-transferable tags issued by the Director.

3. Eligibility: Gillnet tags are available only to a multipurpose license holder with gillnet endorsement.

4. Only one (1) set of tags shall be designated to a commercial license holder.

5. License holders are eligible to receive a maximum of eighty (80) tags, plus an additional ten (10) tags for routine loss. No more than eighty (80) tagged nets shall be in the water at any one time. No person shall possess at any one time more tags than are authorized.

6. Tags shall be attached to every string of gillnets as follows: one (1) tag shall be attached on each of the two (2) terminal ends, at the bridle of each end net panel; and one (1) tag shall be attached on every other bridle of each net panel within the string.

7. No person shall transfer gillnet tags between nets or between individuals or vessels.

8. No person shall file a false claim of tag loss.

J. Tending of nets

1. A gill net with a mesh size less than or equal to ten (10) inches must be hauled at least once each calendar day.

2. A gill net with a mesh size greater than ten (10) inches must be hauled at least once every seven (7) days.

K. Weak link and anchor requirements for gill nets set, hauled, and/or maintained south of the Colregs line

1. All buoys, floatation devices and/or weights must be attached to the buoy line with a weak link having a breaking strength of no greater than one thousand one hundred (1,100) pounds.

2. For nets that return to port each day with the vessel, net panels must have a weak link having a breaking strength of no greater than one thousand one hundred (1,100) pounds at the center or each float line or at least every twenty-five (25) fathoms along the float line of a panel longer that fifty (50) fathoms.

3. For nets which do not return to port with the vessel, weak links of not greater than one thousand one hundred (1,100) pounds must be incorporated into net panels following one (1) of the two (2) configurations required by the NOAA Fisheries Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan.

4. All gillnets that do not return to port with vessel, regardless of number of net panels, shall be required to be anchored with the holding power of at least a twenty-two (22) pound Danforth-style anchor at each end of the net string (must be a burying anchor; no dead weights).

L. Pinger Specifications

1. A pinger is an acoustic deterrent device which, when immersed in water, broadcasts a 10 kHz (± 2 kHz) sound at 132 dB (± 4 dB) re 1 micropascal at 1 m, lasting 300 milliseconds (± 15 milliseconds), and repeating every 4 seconds (± 0.2 seconds).

2. Pingers shall be properly attached to each gillnet during the following time periods, annually:

a. December 1 through February 28 (February 29 on leap years); and,

b. April 1 through May 31.

3. A pinger shall be attached at the end of each string of each gillnet and at the bridle of every net within a string of nets (e.g., in a gillnet string consisting of three (3) nets, four (4) pingers would be required).

4. Pingers shall be maintained in an activated state at all times.

M. Drift and sink gillnets: Only a floating and bottom tending gillnet may be set, hauled, or maintained in Rhode Island waters.

1. A floating gillnet must be constantly tended.

2. Minimum mesh size for a bottom tending gillnet: No bottom tending gill net shall have a mesh size smaller than five (5) inches stretched mesh.

N. Gillnets in Narragansett Bay:

1. A single gillnet, or series of connected gillnets, shall not exceed three hundred (300) feet.

2. No gillnet shall be set within one hundred fifty (150) feet of the shore at mean low water.

3. No gillnet shall be set within two thousand (2,000) feet of another gillnet.

O. Gillnets within one half (1/2) nautical miles of the Rhode Island coast (mean high tide line) and south of the Colregs line:

1. A series of connected gillnets shall not exceed a total length of six hundred feet (600').

2. Each gillnet shall be set perpendicular to the shore.

3. No gillnet shall be set within two thousand (2,000) feet of another gillnet.

P. Gillnets beyond one half (1/2) nautical miles of the Rhode Island coast (mean high tide line):

1. No gillnet shall be set within two thousand (2,000) feet of another gillnet from April 1 through October 1.

2. Marking:

a. A series of connected gill nets greater than six hundred (600) feet and less than or equal to one thousand two hundred (1,200) feet must be marked with two (2) orange or fluorescent orange floats with a size of nine (9) inches by sixteen (16) inches on the westernmost end as measured on a compass circle from magnetic south through west to, and including, north and one (1) orange or fluorescent orange float with a size of nine (9) inches by sixteen (16) inches on the easternmost end side as measured on a compass circle from magnetic north through east to, and including, south. In the case of nets set in a due north south line, the two (2) orange or fluorescent orange floats with a size of nine (9) inches by sixteen (16) inches should be placed on the southernmost end.

b. A series of connected gill nets greater than one thousand two hundred (1,200) feet must be marked with an orange or fluorescent orange float with a size of nine (9) inches by sixteen (16) inches and a radar reflective highflyer at each end. One (1) of the radar reflective highflyer is to be marked with a flag on the westernmost side as measured on a compass circle from magnetic south through west to, and including, north. The easternmost side as measured on a compass circle from magnetic north through east to, and including, south is to be marked with a radar reflective highflyer that must remain flagless. In the case of nets set in a due north south line, the flag on the radar reflective highflyer should be placed on the southernmost end.

250 R.I. Code R. 250-RICR-90-00-6.7

Amended effective 5/8/2019
Amended effective 5/14/2020
Amended effective 10/23/2020
Amended effective 3/30/2021
Amended Effective 11/8/2021
Amended effective 7/20/2024
Amended effective 11/18/2024