December 11, 2014 โ The Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council (RIMFC) met last week to make recommendations on 2015 regulations for commercial scup, black sea bass, monkfish and summer flounder (fluke). The Council reviewed stock status and public comments on proposed recommendations for specie management plans and voted status quo (no regulation changes) for all species reviewed.
The Council also assessed the new workshop/public hearing approach that combined four nights of specie advisory panel meetings and a public hearing into one night. The approach was viewed as a success, allowing for greater fishermen input and is expected to save fishermen and DEM staffers hundreds of hours of time and thousands of dollars as input and decisions are made in a more effective and cost efficient manner.
Jason McNamee, DEM marine biologist, said, "We had greater participation form fishermen with over 30 in attendance. In the past with multiple meetings on separate nights we often had three or four fishermen attend some specie advisory panels."
The new approach is part of DEM's and Director Janet Coit's "lean initiative". Overall the Council looked favorably on the process with the recommendation of continuing to provide information in advance of the meeting to allow user groups to formulate alternative recommendations before workshop/public hearings and then continue to allow public comment one week after the public hearing.
Read the full story at the Warwick Beacon