§ 20-4-1.2. Resident or nonresident commercial landing permit. (a) Each resident or nonresident who has charge of a vessel carrying seafood products legally harvested outside Rhode Island waters shall obtain a permit to land, sell, or offer for sale seafood products in Rhode Island. The permit shall be issued by the department upon proof that the applicant holds a valid state or federal commercial fishing license and upon payment of the following fees:

(1) Resident or nonresident finfish landing permit: for the landing sale or offering for sale of nonrestricted finfish, the definition of which shall be established by the department by rule, caught by any means, two hundred dollars ($200) for residents of the state; four hundred dollars ($400) for nonresidents of the state.

(2) Resident or nonresident shellfish landing permit: (includes process product), two hundred dollars ($200) for residents of the state; four hundred dollars ($400) for nonresidents of the state. This permit allows the holder to land shellfish (surf clams, blue mussels, ocean quahaugs, sea scallops) legally harvested in federal water.

(3) Resident or nonresident miscellaneous landing permit: includes all other seafood products not specified under any other provision of this chapter, two hundred dollars ($200) for residents of the state; four hundred dollars ($400) for nonresidents of the state.

(4) Multi-purpose resident or nonresident landing permit: This permit allows a resident or nonresident to land and sell all marine products in the state of Rhode Island, except restricted finfish, the definition of which shall be established by the department by rule, three hundred dollars ($300) for residents of the state; six hundred dollars ($600) for nonresidents of the state.

(b) Landing permits shall be valid for the calendar year in which they are issued.

(c) The department shall adopt any rules and procedures that may be necessary for the timely issuance of these permits in order to facilitate the off-loading and sale of seafood products, except restricted finfish, harvested outside Rhode Island waters.

(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, a commercial vessel with seafood products on board may, without a landing permit, enter Rhode Island waters and be secured to a shoreside facility for purposes other than landing, selling, or offering for sale the seafood products on board if the person having charge of the vessel obtains permission from the department's division of law enforcement prior to securing the vessel to the shoreside facility.

History of Section. (P.L. 1992, ch. 133, art. 17, § 3; P.L. 1996, ch. 288, § 2; P.L. 2001, ch. 58, § 2; P.L. 2002, ch. 47, § 7.)