The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management recently enacted new regulations to help prevent the illegal harvest and sale of Atlantic striped bass.
The new rules, outlined in Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Regulations, Part XII Striped Bass, require recreational anglers to clip the right pectoral fin of striped bass 34 inches or larger at the time of harvest; fish with a missing right pectoral fin can’t be sold commercially in Rhode Island.
DEM said the new regulations, adopted following considerable public input, will help prevent “stockpiling,” which occurs when fish are harvested on a day closed to commercial fishing and then offered for sale on an open day. The new regulations also address fish being illegally transported and sold in neighboring states, according to DEM.
Block Island Sound, in particular, is a well-known hot spot for large stripe bass that draws anglers from across the region.
