Rhode Island § 20-4-12 - Commercial Fisheries

§ 20-4-12. Striped bass — Use of nets and seines prohibited — Traps.

Unless otherwise specified by regulation, no person, firm, or corporation shall take, or attempt to take, with or by the use of a net, seine, or any other contrivance of any kind or description except by hook and line, spear, or by fish traps authorized under authority of chapter 5 of this title, as amended, any striped bass from the public waters of this state northerly of a line commencing at upper pier in the town of Narragansett and extending in a straight line in a northeasterly direction to Beavertail Lighthouse and thence continuing in a northeasterly direction in a straight line to Castle Hill Lighthouse in the city of Newport; nor shall any person, firm, or corporation take, or attempt to take, with or by the use of a seine, any striped bass from the beach in the town of Charlestown for a distance of three (3) miles to the east of Charlestown Inlet; provided, however, that it shall not be a violation of this section for any person to take striped bass by means of the seine, net, or other contrivance while fishing for other fish for the catching of which the use of the seine, net, or other contrivance is permitted if the striped bass is immediately returned to the waters from which taken; provided further, however, at all fish traps, between September first and October fourteenth in any year, there is no obstruction, except the trap anchor warp of the leader within one hundred fifty feet (150′) from the mean high water mark on shore that will stop the free passage of striped bass. For the purpose of this chapter, a “trap anchor warp” is any cable, wire, line, or like material or device, and shall not exceed three inches (3″) in diameter.