Hello, I’m a longtime angler from the Pawtucket area who fishes the Blackstone River almost every week. Like many local fishermen and women, I love this river and want to see it become the best fishery it can possibly be.

 That’s why I’m starting this petition: to ask the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) Division of Fish & Wildlife to immediately review and update several outdated or counterproductive fishing regulations and management practices on the Blackstone River.

 

I must start by mentioning i am not an ecologist or biologist.  I did not attend school to learn about these issues, but i am self educated and fairly knowledgeable about fish species and river systems. If there are any ideas mentioned here that are not reasonable, i am happy to be educated and these are just a rough draft of some of my ideas.

 

The first thing that made me question how effective our laws and programs are, is the statewide ban on using corn as bait in any designated trout waters — including the entire Blackstone River, from Woonsocket, all the way down to Pawtucket

This rule makes no sense, is outdated, and gives people who are unaware a false sense of protection/ genuine care from the DEM. The Blackstone is famous as a carp fishery, and is arguably THE BEST mirror carp fishery in the entire United states, but not a primary trout destination. I would say that Most people who catch trout here release them anyway, and very few (if any) eat fish taken from this polluted, urban river. There are signs all over the blackstone river warning people to not eat the fish, so even if the current science claims that the Stocked trout are safe to eat because they lack the PFA's and forever chemicals because they did not spend their whole life in the waters, Most people, including myself don't trust it, or dont want to take the chance that there was another undisclosed Sewage leak.

  The old myth that trout cannot digest corn has been disproven for years. Meanwhile, the baits that are allowed — PowerBait and artificial eggs — are larger, more unnatural, and likely even harder for trout to process. In conclusion, This rule doesn’t protect fish; it just frustrates honest anglers and feels disconnected from reality - No other state in the country has this rule, and From the data and science i have gathered, most if not all other states declare corn as a safe, healthy food to feed to fish. 

Back to the main issue at hand - In my opinion, the corn ban is only one symptom of a bigger problem. If the DEM truly wants healthy, designated trout waters, we should move beyond short-term “put-and-take” stocking that exists mainly to generate license revenue.

 Instead, if we would like a proper trout fishery, we should:
• Begin stocking broodstock (adult male and female) trout capable of natural reproduction so the river can eventually support a self-sustaining population. - I am just brainstorming here, but for example I would recommend stocking them at the gorge in blackstone, and cutting off all fishing from there down to Woonsocket falls for 1-2 Years to Allow these fish to properly sustain themselves. There are tons of other stocked ponds in this area for people to fish, and This area is generally not fished much, and has the perfect habitat to support these fish right underneath the gorge in blackstone. This is historically where the Native brook trout, and Atlantic salmon used to travel up to in the past. 

 

• Embrace the fact we are the best mirror Carp fishery in the US. People should be allowed to fish for carp at all times of the year and we should not be prioritizing Infertile, stocked artificial trout that die off every year by summer time anyways. There could be rules enforced, similar to how if you are bait fishing for Striped bass, you must use a Circle Hook. A rule that all fishermen targeting carp must use a Hair rig would save the lives of All carp, and any By catches, due to the way the hair rig is impossible to Gut Hook a fish. Any trout accidentally caught on this rig would be easy to release because they wouldn't swallow the hook. Maybe somehow the State could make money by partnering with a company or selling the proper equipment. Some may look at that as corruption at first glance, but it actually would serve a very practical purpose. 

 
• Prioritize genuine river cleanup and habitat restoration. (This has been planned for a while and to my knowledge a lot has been done. It seems hard / nearly impossible with the current budget for a full cleanup, But in my opinion there needs to be a better, more practical way to get more people involved with the cleanup)

• Remove or properly modify the lower dams, or install and maintain effective fish ladders long enough for fish to actually learn and use them (instead of starting projects that get scrapped after a year).

• Strategically stock appropriate baitfish species throughout the river to support the entire existing predatory fish community — not just the stocked trout. I believe with just a few proper Stockings strategically done in certain parts of the river like earlier described, the blackstone river would be able to naturally sustain these fish and would save some money from the stocking every year that goes into putting them into the blackstone. Instead the blackstone should be stocked with some sort of baitfish such as alewives, shiners, or whatever is the most practical baitfish to stock that will increase the food supply without affecting other fish population.

This is just the start, but I believe These practical, science-based changes would create a far healthier, more balanced ecosystem that benefits carp anglers, trout anglers, bass fishermen, and every other user of the Blackstone River.

 Right now, the current approach feels more focused on annual stocking numbers and short-term income than on building a river that can truly thrive on its own.

I’m not asking the DEM to stop caring about trout — I’m asking them to care smarter. Local anglers know this river better than anyone, and our input should help shape the rules. Thousands of us fish these waters every season; our voices matter.
Please join me in signing this petition. Together we can show the DEM that Rhode Island anglers want real, long-term solutions for the Blackstone River — not outdated restrictions that do more harm than good. When this petition reaches 2,000 signatures, I will deliver it directly to DEM Director Terry Gray, Deputy Chief of Freshwater Fisheries Christine Dudley, and the full Fish & Wildlife team, along with the detailed feedback I already sent them by email.
Thank you for standing with local fishermen and women who simply want a better river.