The 2018 commercial summer flounder quota allocated to Rhode Island has been harvested. Effective 0001 hours December 29, 2018, fishing vessels issued a federal moratorium permit for the summer flounder fishery may no longer land summer flounder in Rhode Island for the remainder of the 2018 calendar year. This closure is concurrent with the state of Rhode Island’s closure of its commercial summer flounder fishery to state permitted vessels and dealers, effective 0001 hours on December 29, 2018.
Vessel owners issued federal permits must continue to complete and submit vessel logbooks for all other species landed. Additionally, dealers issued federal permits for summer flounder may not purchase summer flounder from federally permitted vessels that land in Rhode Island for the remainder of the calendar year. Federally permitted dealers must also continue to report all fish purchases from any vessel.
