Title 20
Fish and Wildlife

Chapter 1
General Provisions

§ 20-1-3. Definitions.

(a) When used in this title, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings, unless the context indicates another meaning:

(1) “Bushel” means a standard U.S. bushel, 2,150.4 cubic inches capacity;

(2) “Commercial fishing” means to take, harvest, hold, transport, load, or off-load, marine species for sale or for intended sale;

(3) “Hinge width” means the distance between the convex apex of the right shell and the convex apex of the left shell;

(4) “Land or landing” means to off-load seafood products, including, but not limited to, finfish, shellfish, and crustaceans, for sale or intended sale, or to secure a vessel with the seafood products on board to a shoreside facility where the products may be off-loaded for sale or intended sale;

(5) “Nonresident landowner” means a nonresident citizen of the United States and owner of real estate in Rhode Island as evidenced by deed filed in the recorder of deeds office in a Rhode Island town or city hall;

(6) “Peck” means one fourth (¼) of a bushel;

(7) “Person” means an individual, corporation, partnership, or other legal entity;

(8) “Possession” means the exercise of dominion or control over the resource commencing at the time at which a decision is made not to return the resource to the immediate vicinity from which it was taken. The decision must be made at the first practical opportunity. In the case of aquaculture crops, “possession” means the exercise of dominion or control over cultured crops commencing at the time that a decision is made not to return the crops to the lease or facility from which they were taken. The decision must be made at the first practical opportunity, taking into consideration the management practices set forth in the approved operational plan;

(9) “Quart” means one thirty-second (¹/₃₂) of a bushel;

(10) “Resident” means an individual who has had his or her actual place of residence and has lived in the state of Rhode Island for a continuous period of not less than six (6) months.

(b) When used in this title, the following common names shall mean the animals designated by the following scientific names:

Alewife — Pomolobus or Alosa pseudoharengus

Bay quahaug — Mercenaria mercenaria

Bay scallop — Argopecten irradians

Blue crab — Callinectes sapidus

Blue mussel — Mytilus edulis

Conch/channel whelk — Busycon canaliculatum

Conch/nob whelk — Busycon carica

Deer — white-tailed deer, Odocoileous virginianus

Eel — Anguilla rostrata

Green crabs — Carcinus maenas

Jonah/northern crab — Cancer borealis

Lobster — Homarus americanus

Menhaden — Brevoortia tyrannus

Ocean quahaug — Arctica islandica

Oyster — Crassostrea virginica, Ostrea edulis

Rock crab — Cancer irroratus

Sea scallop — Placopecten magellanicus

Smelt — Osmerus mordax

Soft shell clam — Mya arenaria

Striped bass — Morone saxatilis

Surf clam or sea clam — Spisula solidissima.