The state’s congressional delegation has sent a letter to a congressional subcommittee requesting that Connecticut fishermen be allowed to testify on a proposed bill that would transfer 150 square miles of federal fishing grounds to the control of Rhode Island and New York.

The legislation would move the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in Long Island Sound to a new landward boundary between Montauk, N.Y., and Point Judith, R.I.

“It seems unreasonable to us that a decision of this magnitude, which will have a significant impact on Connecticut fishermen would be made without any input from stakeholders in our state,” wrote the senators and representatives to the chairman and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans of the Committee on Natural Resources. “This change would prevent Connecticut fishermen and lobstermen from harvesting in waters around Block Island Sound as they have done for decades, unless first obtaining costly permits from New York or Rhode Island. We believe that this misguided legislation was crafted strategically to benefit certain states while disproportionately harming the Connecticut fishing industry. At the very least, any consideration of this bill going forward should include voices from all areas that would be impacted by this change – including from our state.”

New York Rep. Lee Zeldin introduced the bill which was aimed at striped bass management. The subcommittee is slated to hold a hearing on the bill Tuesday.

In a letter to the subcommittee, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Robert Klee wrote that “Connecticut commercial fishermen operate in what are now federal waters (EEZ) under federal fishery permits. If these federal waters become state waters divided between the states of New York and Rhode Island access to these waters will be lost to these Connecticut commercial fishermen. This is already the case for lobstermen fishing in any waters that fall under Rhode Island jurisdiction as that state prohibits non-residents from fishing for lobsters in their waters.”

Klee added the bill would damage efforts to rebuild striped bass stock.

“The waters around Block Island seem to be holding an unusually large proportion of the adult striped bass population in recent years. Converting these federal waters to state jurisdiction will expose these reproductive age fish to significant mortality which our public hearings on striped bass management tell us would be opposed by the vast majority of anglers.” he wrote.

Joseph Gilbert, a member of the Stonington-based Southern New England Fishermen and Lobstermen’s Association, wrote that “this transfer of authority over such a vast area of the Exclusive Economic Zone constitutes a land grab by New York and Rhode Island in addition to the improper reallocation of fishing rights amongst current users.”

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