Law targeting fishermen approved by Cranston City Council

 Matt Wechbacker caught this 69 pound striped bass at Block Island with an eel when fishing with Capt. Corey Smith and Kurt Rivard Friday, July 21.

 Rich Heffernan, Tom Wood and Larry Audino fished the East Grounds off Block Island for summer flounder and black sea bass Saturday on No Fluke Charters.

 Newport black sea bass bite was good for Joe Roth of Boca Raton, FL who fished the bridge area with success Wednesday. He and wife Linda were fishing with cousin Kevin Fetzer of East Greenwich.

Anthony Gauthier of Washington, DC with a thick summer flounder caught off Ft. Adams, Newport.  Anthony and Katie Conway (formerly of North Kingstown) married in Newport last week.

Law targeting fishermen approved by Cranston Council

In one of the first laws of its kind in the State of Rhode Island, the Cranston City Council approved a ‘No Fishing’ ordinance at the end of Ocean Avenue, Cranston at their July 24, 2017 meeting. The primary advocate for the ordinance was the Rhode Island Yacht Club, whose parking lot is adjacent to the public access fishing area.

Councilman John Lanni said that the ordinance was illegal and he was not voting for it. Lanni said, “Citizens are granted the right to access and fishing in our Rhode Island constitution.  This ‘No Fishing” ordinance would open the city up for expensive law suits.  This is the first time to my knowledge that any city in the state was trying to deny citizens the ability to fish at a public access.”

Michael Farina, council president, said, “I will not be intimidated by the treat of a law suit.  Out attorney says it is not illegal to do this so we are moving forward with it.”

Councilman Steven Stycos was the only other councilperson opposed to the ‘No Fishing’ ordinance and said, “Fishing is not the problem.  We need to enforce the laws we have and propose others such as restricted parking on Ocean Road.  However, the Yacht Club has said they want the parking spaces on the street for events they hold.”

In a letter dated July 21, 2017 to Council president Michael Farina from Larry Mouradjian, associate director of the Department of Environmental Management (DEM), Mouradjian said, “The City of Cranston does not have the legal authority to ban fishing from the area which has been designated for public access.  Based on the Rhode Island Constitution and Rhode General Laws Section 20-1-2, the authority to regulate fish and wildlife has been delegated to DEM.”  The letter concluded, “Municipalities have been granted no authority to regulate fishing and the City’s attempt to ban fishing adversely impacts the constitutional rights of Rhode Islanders.”

Legal Counsel for the city testified (at president Farina’s urging) that they checked with involved state agencies such as the Costal Resource Management Authority and there was nothing wrong with the City ban on fishing at the access point as long as anglers could go down to the beach to fish.  Neither legal counsel nor Council president Farina mentioned the DEM letter at the Council meeting.

Michael Jarbeau, Narragansett Barkeeper for Save The Bay testified that the ‘No Fishing’ ordinance was unconstitutional and that Save the Bay was opposed to the ordinance.  In a letter to the Council Save The Bay said, “We are sensitive to neighborhood concerns, and the concerns of others who enjoy this public access site, regarding trash, congestion, and private property infringement. However, a fishing ban does nothing to address these concerns directly. Instead, this ordinance takes the unprecedented step of banning an activity so cherished by the state that it is explicitly protected in the Rhode Island Constitution.”

Richard Hittinger, 1^st vice president of The Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association, testified and said, “Fishing access is a right granted by our State constitution.  The ‘No Fishing” ordinance is designed to deny and discourage fisherman, it specially targets fishing.  The real problem is trash, parking and congestion.  It’s not right to target fishing and fishermen.  We are opposed to the ‘No Fishing’ ordinance.”

Barbara Rubine, president of the Edgewood Waterfront Preservation Association testified that, “Our board objects to the trash and congestion at the end of Ocean Avenue and strongly believes the City needs to enforce ordinances already in place, we are opposed to banning fishing at the Ocean Avenue access point as we believe all should be able to enjoy the coastline.”

Before the council voted on the ordinance an amendment made by Councilman Michael Favicchio was approved.  The spirit of the amendment was to ban fishing on the road but allow it on the beach.  The amendment further made it unclear as to where the ‘No Fishing’ line was drawn i.e. at the edge of the road where there is a guardrail, up to the beginning of the sea wall, etc. Councilman Stycos urged clarification in the amendment, but it passed without further alternation.

Save The Bay, the Edgewood Preservation Association and the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association all plan to urge Mayor Fung to veto the ‘No Fishing’ law.  The Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association has also offered to help the City of Cranston and residents in the area with fishermen outreach.  In the past the Association has helped the State and cities with access area signage, the posting of fishing regulations, provided fishing line disposal dispensers and fishermen communication.

Free clamming workshops

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announced it is hosting a series of free recreational clamming workshops this summer. The workshops, led by a local shellfisherman, review the history and value of shellfishing in Rhode Island and provide an opportunity for participants to dig for their own clams.

People of all ages are encouraged to participate. Space is limited and registration is required. To register, contact Kimberly Sullivan at Kimberly.sullivan@dem.ri.gov. All equipment and materials will be provided.

A workshop was held in Bristol earlier this week, the remaining schedule includes workshops on:  Friday, August 11^th, 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at North Kingstown Town Beach, North Kingstown; Tuesday, August 22, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Saturday, September 9, 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Rocky Point State Park, Warwick.

Clamming (known locally as quahogging) has a rich history in Rhode Island, as a significant contributor to the state’s commercial fishing industry as well as a great family recreational fishery. More than 28 million quahogs were harvested from Narragansett Bay and local coastal waters last year.

Come Clam With Me workshops are sponsored by DEM’s Aquatic Resource Education (ARE) program. ARE provides a host of recreational fishing opportunities for the public – as well as marine science programming for educators.  For more information on ARE programs and events, visit www.dem.ri.gov/are.

Party boat fishing

Every wonder how to select a party fishing boat to go out on and just wish you knew which one was good and best for you.  You can learn how to select a party boat this Monday, July 31^st, 7:00 p.m. at the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association’s (RISAA) Party Boat Seminar at the West Warwick Elks Lodge. 

Dianne Valerien will be quest speaker.  Dianne has fished for 40 years and worked on party boats for the past 20 years fishing for cod, black sea bass, summer flounder, scup tautog and striped bass.   Valerien said, “Fishing on a party boat is a great way to get out fishing on a boat.  It’s affordable and you can go it alone or fish with family and friends.”

Learn what to look for when choosing a party boat, differences in boat operations as well as fishing gear and techniques to employ when fishing on a party board.

Non-members are requested to make a $10 donation to the RISAA Scholarship Fund, members attend free. The Elks Lodge is at 60 Clyde Street, West Warwick.  Dinner between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. sold separately.