§ 20-6-1. Taking of shellfish without a license. Unless otherwise specified in regulations adopted by the marine fisheries council, any resident of this state may, without a license, take in any one day during the open season, if applicable, not more than one half (½) bushel each of quahaugs, soft-shell clams, sea clams, oysters, and […]
§ 20-6-10. Allowance of shellfish taking under license. (a) Unless otherwise specified by regulation of the marine fisheries council, a holder of a commercial shellfishing license may take and/or possess, in any one day, up to twelve (12) bushels of quahaugs, twelve (12) bushels of soft-shell clams, and three (3) bushels of oysters. (b) A […]
§ 20-6-11. Minimum size of shellfish — Penalty. (a) No person shall take and/or possess any quahogs less than one inch (1″) shell thickness (hinge width). In addition, no person shall take and/or possess soft-shell clams, taken from the free and common soft-shell clam fisheries, of a diameter less than one and one half inches […]
§ 20-6-12. Maximum take for dredged quahaugs. Any person licensed to take quahaugs by dredge, rake, or other apparatus operated by power or hauled by a power boat may take and possess, between sunrise and sunset of any one day, thirty (30) bushels of quahaugs, unless a different amount is specified by regulation of the […]
§ 20-6-13. General penalties for violations — Impoundment of boats. Any person who, without a license, takes quahaugs by dredge, or any person who violates any suspension of the director of environmental management made with respect to quahaug dredging or who violates any provisions of this chapter for which a penalty is not otherwise provided, […]
§ 20-6-14. Costs of seizure and impounding. Any costs incurred by the seizure and impounding of power boats by authority of § 20-6-13 shall be assessed against the owner, or owners, of those boats, and none of these seized and impounded boats shall be released to any claimant, unless and until, any costs incurred by […]
§ 20-6-15. Soft-shell clams — Method of taking. No person, either as principal, agent, or employee, shall dig or take by any method other than by forks, rakes, hoes, tongs, or any other device operated by hand, from any of the waters of this state, any soft-shell clam. Any violation of the provisions of this […]
§ 20-6-16. Scallops — Commercial allowance. Unless otherwise specified by regulation of the marine fisheries council, a person holding a license for the commercial taking of scallops shall take in any one day not more than ten (10) bushels of scallops, including shells, from the waters of the state. History of Section.P.L. 1981, ch. 197, […]
§ 20-6-17. Taking and possession of seed scallops. Every person taking any seed scallops, and failing to restore them as soon as possible to their natural beds in the water from which taken, shall be fined not less than twenty dollars ($20.00) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100) or be imprisoned not exceeding thirty […]
§ 20-6-18. Sale of scallops during closed season. Any person offering for sale any scallops, other than during the open season for taking scallops, shall be fined not less than twenty dollars ($20.00) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100) for each quart offered for sale, or be imprisoned not exceeding thirty (30) days, or […]
§ 20-6-19. Number, size, and handling of dredges. Unless otherwise specified by regulation of the marine fisheries council, no person engaged in the taking of scallops shall use more than six (6) single dredges, the blades of which shall not be more than twenty-eight inches (28″) in width, and the bag used shall not be […]
§ 20-6-2. Oysters — Open season. Unless otherwise specified in regulations adopted by the marine fisheries council, the open season for taking oysters from the free and common oyster fisheries in any of the waters of this state shall be between the fifteenth day of September and the fifteenth day of May. Any person taking […]
§ 20-6-20. Towing of dredge during closed season. Any person who tows a scallop dredge in the waters of the state during the season closed to the taking of scallops shall, upon conviction, be fined not less than twenty dollars ($20.00) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100) or imprisoned not exceeding thirty (30) days, […]
§ 20-6-21. Opening shellfish on water. No person shall possess the meats of more than six (6) shellfish while shellfishing on the waters of the state or throw the shells of open scallops onto the scallop beds. History of Section.P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3; P.L. 1987, ch. 254, § 3.
§ 20-6-22. Transplanting of seed scallops. The director of environmental management may conduct any scallop transplant programs as may be appropriate to enhance scallop stock, seed depleted areas, and further the scallop harvest in the state. History of Section.P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
§ 20-6-23. Penalty for taking shellfish at night. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or public law to the contrary, any person who takes any oysters, clams, quahaugs, scallops, or mussels from any of the waters of this state during the hours between sundown and sunrise shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of […]
§ 20-6-24. [Repealed.] History of Section.P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3; P.L. 1983, ch. 173, § 3; P.L. 1986, ch. 214, § 3; repealed by P.L. 2021, ch. 162, art. 7, § 7, effective July 6, 2021.
§ 20-6-25. Disposition of moneys received under this chapter. All moneys derived from payments received for fishing licenses required under the provisions of this chapter shall be deposited with the general treasurer, and the general assembly shall annually appropriate any sum that it deems necessary for the protection, cultivation, research, and management of shellfish; and […]
§ 20-6-26. Transfer of shellfish from uncertified waters. The director of environmental management is authorized and directed, after requiring all necessary safeguards, to transfer shellfish from uncertified waters of the state to approved areas. The director may make rules and regulations governing the reharvest of those shellfish to the best economical benefit of the state […]
§ 20-6-27. Dredging, raking, and tonging. Those areas to which the shellfish are transferred shall be marked out and dredging, raking, or tonging on them shall be prohibited except under the special direction of the director. History of Section.P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3; P.L. 1988, ch. 166, § 1.
