Forum on R.I. fisheries management continues Feb. 8
URI Coastal Institute hosts second session at Bay Campus

KINGSTON, R.I. -- February 2, 2001 -- The Coastal Institute at the University of Rhode Island will host the second in a series of public meetings on the commercial fishing licensing system and fisheries management in Rhode Island on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. in Corless Auditorium on the URI Bay Campus.

According to Coastal Institute Director Peter August, this meeting will examine the status of coastal fishery resources and the regulatory landscape for fishery management in the state.

The first half of the session will be led by Jeremy Collie, URI associate professor of oceanography, and Mark Gibson, deputy chief of marine fisheries at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. They will provide information on how fish stocks are assessed, current trends in the abundance of principal fish species in Narragansett Bay and near shore waters, and fishing effort. Dennis Nixon, URI professor of marine affairs, and David Borden, DEM assistant director of natural resources, will then give an overview of the regulatory structure effecting commercial fishing, current management practices, and the legal issues involved with the proposed options for revising the state's commercial licensing procedures.

The information presented at this meeting will serve as a basis for continued discussions on improvements in fisheries management programs in Rhode Island, including options for changing the state's current commercial fishing license procedures.

The meeting is free and open to the public, and all interested parties are encouraged to attend. For more information, call 874-6513 or visit the Coastal Institute web site at www.ci.uri.edu/projects/rifish.

For Information: Peter August 874-4794, Todd McLeish 874-7892