Thanks for posting this. I have to ask why a commercial fisherman who exceeded the summer flounder catch limit by over 500 lbs was given a misdemeanor summons? I'm guessing this about equal to what a recreational fisherman would be fined for exceeding the catch limit by 1 or 2 fish.


On February 19th, 2018 Officer Bruno and Sergeant Chemacki received information from Rhode Island Environmental Police that a commercial fisherman out of New London had landed 2048 pounds of summer flounder in Point Judith Rhode Island. The legal amount of summer flounder to be landed in Rhode Island is 1500 pounds per biweekly period. It was also related from Rhode Island Environmental Police that said commercial fisherman had offloaded summer flounder in excess of the creel limit during the previous biweekly. Officer Bruno and Sergeant Chemacki were familiar with the commercial fisherman who has had previous violations for excess creel limits and where he would be coming into port in New London and advised Rhode Island to start making their way to Connecticut. Within a short period of time Officer Bruno and Sergeant Chemacki were able to locate the commercial fishermen at the dock in New London when he returned and notified Rhode Island Environmental Police of their location. The commercial fisherman was issued a Misdemeanor Summons from Rhode Island Environmental Police for excessive creel limit of summer flounder.