Deadline nears for commercial fishermen


The deadline to submit applications for commercial fishing licenses is March 1 through the state Department of Environmental Management’s website. This applies to renewals and new licenses.

About 4,000 renewal applications were mailed to fishermen in November, and these forms can be submitted by mail to the Office of Boat Registration and Licensing, 235 Promenade St., Providence, RI 02908. Walk-in services are not available due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A limited number of commercial licenses for the harvest of shellfish also will be available. That includes 36 additional quahog endorsements and six new soft-shell clam endorsements. There also will be nine new restricted finfish endorsements that will allow for the commercial harvest of summer flounder, scup, striped bass, black sea bass and tautog.

That launched a certification program that is mandatory for everyone who commercially harvests and lands shellfish in Rhode Island. The goal of the educational program is to ensure shellfish harvesters deliver a safe product to shellfish dealers and consumers. In accordance with requirements from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, fishermen with commercial licenses and landing permits must obtain certification by completing a 30-minute online tutorial prior to issuance. This applies to both renewals and new licenses, and all certificates are valid for five years.

There also are special shellfish licenses for students and senior citizens. Residents age 65 or older and full-time students age 23 or younger may obtain licenses that allow for the commercial harvest of quahogs. The date threshold for these age groups is June 30.

Prior to renewal, fishermen are reminded that they must have their log books up-todate with the Division of Marine Fisheries, 3 Fort Wetherill Road.