Rhode Island boosts regulations on striped bass catch limits
By The Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) _ The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management has beefed up regulations on recreational fishing of striped bass to reverse a decline in the stocks of what is considered a premier game fish.
Environmental Management Director Janet Coit announced Tuesday the new regulations to cut the bag limit for recreational fishermen to one fish per person a day from two. It maintains the minimum catch size at 28 inches.
The specific change does not affect commercial fishing. It’s expected to reduce harvests by 31 percent from 2013.
Coit said that after rebounding from a decline in the 1970s, stocks of the fish have been going down again for the better part of a decade.
Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and North Carolina have imposed catch limits.
(C) WLNE/TV 2015
