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February 6, 2008
The Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA), a political powerhouse, is establishing a branch in Rhode Island. James A. Donofrio, executive director of the group, drove from the RFA’s headquarters in New Jersey to meet with local organizers in East Greenwich last week.
“What Rhode Island needs is leadership on federal [fishing] issues,” he said. “There’s been a void there.”
The RFA has about 5,000 individual members, Donofrio said. Though affiliated fishing groups, the RFA represents about 120,000 anglers.
Locally, the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association has taken stands on state and some federal fishing issues. Last year, local group allied with Save The Bay in an attempt to stop purse seining, a method of fishing for menhaden in the Bay. For several years, Ark Bait, a purse seiner based in Fall River, has been catching menhaden to sell as bait for lobstermen and recreational fishermen. The attempted ban foundered during a summer when an overwhelming number of menhaden entered the Bay.
Donofrio disagrees with the stand taken by Save The Bay and the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association. He prefers regulations similar to the rules in New Jersey where Ark Bait also purse-seines for menhaden.
Essentially, a purse-seiner encircles a school of fish in a net that is drawn up like a pouch or a purse. In Rhode Island, the fish are then pumped from the net through a tube, into the boat. In New Jersey, the trapped fish must be lifted in baskets, by hand, to the boat. The manual method takes more time, but the bait boats – including Ark – abide by the rules. “The bait boats can’t do any damage to the stocks that way,” Donofrio said.
Posted by Tom Meade 
at 11:12 AM | Permalink
