It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Title 20 of the General Laws entitled "Fish and Wildlife" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter:
{ADD CHAPTER 20-4.1 ADD}
{ADD MENHADEN MANAGEMENT AREA ADD}
{ADD 20-4.1-1. Designation of Menhaden management area -- Narragansett Bay in its entirety is designated a Menhaden management area. -- ADD} {ADD The area shall include the east and west passages of Narragansett Bay, Mt. Hope Bay, and the Sakonnet River, and be bordered on the south by a line from Bonnet Point to Beavertail Point to Castle Hill Light. The southern boundary will then extend from Land's End to Sachuset Point and then to Sakonnet Point. All sections of the Management Area north of a line from Spink Neck in the town of North Kingstown to Pine Hill Point on Prudence Island and from a point at Homestead Dock on the easterly shore of Prudence Island, thence northeasterly to Hog Island Shoal Light, thence to the most easterly end of the Mt. Hope Bridge in the town of Portsmouth, and north of a line extending from McCurry Point so called on the east side of the town of Portsmouth northeasterly in a line to the southerly point of Jack's Island so-called, in the town of Tiverton will be permanently closed to the taking of Menhaden for reduction purposes by the use of purse seines. ADD}
{ADD 20-4.1-2. Areas where purse seining allowed. -- ADD} {ADD All sections of the management area where purse seining for Menhaden is allowed will be open as determined by the Department of Environmental Management. ADD}
{ADD 20-4.1-3. Closure areas. -- ADD} {ADD When the Division of Fish and Wildlife determines that the daily catch equals or exceeds five hundred thousand pounds (500,000 lbs.) for any one (1) day, the following area closures will be implemented on an emergency basis. During a closure, purse seining for Menhaden for reduction purpose (fish meal) will be prohibited in all closed areas. A vessel will be considered in the reduction (fish meal) business if any portion of the vessel's catch is sold for reduction purposes.
The following areas will be closed to purse seining of Menhaden for reduction purposes when the daily catch limit exceeds five hundred thousand pounds (500,000 lbs.) per day:
(1) Wickford area: There shall be no Menhaden seining west of (inside) the breakwater located at the harbor mouth.
(2) Dutch Island: East of the northernmost end of Dutch Island to the easternmost end of the Verrazano Jamestown Bridge (Jamestown) and northeast of a line running between the flasher F1"R"6 set at the southern tip of Dutch Island and the westernmost point of Fox Hill (Beaverhead).
(3) Bonnet Shores: West of a line running southwesterly from Bonnet Point to "Watson Pier".
(4) Newport area: East of a line extending southerly from the westernmost point of the breakwater at the Naval Base to R"14" to the abandoned lighthouse at the southwest tip of Rose Island to the flasher at the northern tip of Fort Adams.
(5) South of Aquidneck Island: North of a line running west from Sachuest Point to the southernmost point of "Land's End".
(6) Middle Sakonnet River: East of a line from the western end of Seapowet Point to the westernmost end of High Hill Point, to the pipeline area on the Little Compton shore directly to the east of Black Point to Flint Point.
(7) Lower Sakonnet River: West of line running south from the eastern end of Black Point to Flint Point.
Provided, however, these restrictions shall in no way prevent the taking of Menhaden by purse seine, for bait, chum or purposes other than fish meal reduction. ADD}
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
