This past weekend, Environmental Police Officers (EPOs) from DEM’s Division of Law Enforcement (DLE) boarded a recreational fishing vessel while on a routine patrol in the area of Napatree Point, Westerly. EPOs discovered 206 scup on board, six of which were undersized. This is 116 scup over the limit of 90 for the three licensed persons on board the vessel. EPOs also determined that one of the vessel occupants had a bench warrant for failure to appear on a prior fisheries violation. The vessel operator received a district court summons for exceeding the daily possession limit of scup and possession of undersize scup along with a civil citation for a boating safety violation. The subject with the warrant was arrested.
The seized scup was donated to the Amos House in Providence, a nonprofit social service agency that provides direct support for men, women, and children in Rhode Island who are hungry, homeless, and in crisis.
Help us protect what is yours for future generations. Report poaching violations to our 24-hour dispatch center at (401) 222-3070. Adhering to the rules is not only good for the health of our fisheries; it’s the law. Find possession and size limits for recreational fishing at dem.ri.gov.
