Fishing and boating has big impact; and Rocky Point Park

 Spring (fishing?) break: school vacation turned out to be a fishing holiday for Carlin O’Hara of Cranston. The Rhode Island angler landed red and yellowtail snapper off Riviera Beach (near West Palm Beach) in Florida while on vacation with his family.

Boating talk:  Rick Bellavance, president of the RI Party & Charter Boat, and Kim Hapgood of Sail Newport at SeaPlan’s marine industry boating workshop held last week at Save the Bay.

Fishing and boating has big impact

Over the past month there has been a lot of talk about recreational fishing, and a lot of talk about boating, and the impact they have on Rhode Island.  As one might expect these industries bolster tourism… and come to find out… they do have a huge direct impact on our economy. But the greatest impact for me is not financial, but rather the recreational benefits… the peace of mind one gets by being close to or on the water and the fun and bonding that goes on between friends and family members when they are fishing or boating in Rhode Island.

All the fishing and boating talk started this month with the 2013 Southern New England Recreational Fishing Symposium held on April 2 in Warwick.  This symposium was hosted by the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association in conjunction with the URI Coastal Institute.  One week later the symposium was followed by the release of a new for-hire (charter and party boat) economic impact study by the National Oceanographic an d Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) regional research center.  And then, last week, preliminary results for the 2012 Northeast Recreational Boater Survey were released at a coastal boating and marine industry workshop held at Save the Bay’s headquarters in Providence.  The workshop and study were sponsored by SeaPlan, an independent nonprofit ocean science and policy group.

By the numbers

Add it all up and the economic impact recreational fishing and boating have on Rhode Island is very impressive.  NOAA’s estimate on the annual economic impact of recreational fishing in Rhode Island totaled $179-million.  In the Northeast the impact of the for-hire industry was estimated at $334-million and preliminary data from the 2012 Northeast Recreational Boater Survey indicated that the economic impact of recreational boating could be as high as $220-million in Rhode Island. 

The data, much of it available for the first time, tells a story. Even though some industry segments are missing and others may be counted twice, the data leads me to believe that it is in the best interest of all Rhode Islanders to advocate for the boating industry, recreational fishing, the environment and fish that live in our waters because they have a great impact on all of us.  Now add the impact of commercial fishing and boating (shipping) and the economic impact is all that much greater.  Visit the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association website for results of the Recreational Fishing Symposium at www.risaa.org (symposium highlights soon to be posted), visit NOAA’s website for information on the recreational fishing and for-hire industry studies at www.nefsc.noaa.gov/publications .  Final results of SeaPlan’s boater survey is not complete yet but their website for the future is www.seaplan.org.  

Reeling in ideas for Rocky Point Park

Visit Rocky Point Park Saturday, May 4, at noon to see officials reel in ideas for the development of Rocky Point Park.  The reeling in event will be held at the beach in front of what was the salt water pool just inside the park entrance off Rocky Point Avenue in Warwick. It is being co-hosted by the Rocky Point Foundation and the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association. The intent of the event is to get people thinking about possible uses of the park that was recently acquired by the state and to illustrate that people across the state have a stake in its development. It's also meant to be fun and in the process promote a public workshop Tuesday, May 7 at 6 p.m. at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet. This will be the first hearing to solicit ideas for the park's future. 

Where’s the bite

Striped bass bite exploded this week with school bass and keepers mixed in being caught in greater numbers along the southern coastal shore with fish moving up into the Bay.  Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence, said, “A customer caught a 32 striped bass in the Seekonk River Sunday.  Not sure if it was a new fish or one that wintered here. The angler that caught it said it was a fairly round fish so it may have been a new migrating fish.” Ken Landry of Ray’s Bait & Tackle, Warwick said, “Customers have not been catching striped bass yet, however, the water is expected to warm this week and bring the fish into the Bay.”  If you have not already done so, now is the time to start fishing for spring striped bass, they are here along the coast,  in the Bay and will be here in stronger numbers by the end of the week.

Tautog fishing reports still trickling in with some keeper fish being cauth in Mt. Hope Bay, India Pint Park in Providence and in the Warren River.  Overall tautog fishing is slow, warming water will help here too.

Squid are starting to appear. “Some squid are here, customers are catching them but in no great numbers.” said Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle. The Francis Fleet begins their squid fishing trips this Friday, May 3, contact them at www.francesfleet.com .

   

Herring migrations into our bays, rivers and salt ponds have been heavy this year.  As early as four weeks ago Craig Castro of Erickson’s Bait & Tackle said, “The herring are thick in Little Gorton’s Pond behind my shop.”  Traditionally Atlantic Menhaden come after the herring, flowed by striped bass chasing them.  Let’s hope that this is what happens this week as the water warms.