§ 20-4-5. Report of commercial fisheries. The owner and/or operator of every boat and/or operator of any device licensed pursuant to this title for the taking or landing of marine organisms for commercial purposes in the state of Rhode Island, or any person issued a license by the director for such purposes, and any dealer of marine organisms licensed pursuant to this title shall, upon request of the department, make either a telephone report, or a written report, or both. Written reports shall be made on forms furnished by the department of environmental management and shall include catch and effort data and any other fishery data that may be required by the director. The reports shall not be made public and shall be kept only for statistical purposes. Failure to comply with the reporting requirements set out in this section or knowingly or willfully making a false report is prohibited. The license or permit of any person found in violation of this section or regulation duly promulgated thereto may be suspended for a period not to exceed sixty (60) days for each offense. No application for a license renewal shall be accepted from a person whose license or permit is currently under suspension or whose reports have not been submitted. Catch reports must be submitted at a time and in a format specified by the director; provided, however, that any such reporting requirements shall not be unreasonable and shall not create an undue burden.

History of Section. (P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3; P.L. 1992, ch. 133, art. 17, § 4; P.L. 1999, ch. 469, § 1.)