NARRAGANSETT, R.I. -- March 27, 2001 -- The series of public meetings to discuss the commercial fishing licensing system in Rhode Island continues on Saturday, March 31 at 1 p.m. in Corless Auditorium on the URI Bay Campus. Sponsored by the University of Rhode Island’s Coastal Institute, the meeting is free and open to the public.

The meeting will focus on reviewing and discussing the various licensing options that have been proposed, including limited entry, limiting fishing effort, issuance of control date warnings, and extension of the current license moratorium.

The on-going series of meetings is being held at the request of the Governor, with the support of the General Assembly, to work with members of the fishing industry, resource managers, scientists, government officials, and other interested parties to identify ways to improve the licensing of commercial fishermen in Rhode Island.

For more information call 874-6513 or visit the Coastal Institute’s project web site at www.ci.uri.edu/projects/rifish.

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