Opinion ID: 1965862
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: The Plenary Power of the General Assembly in Fisheries

Text: This Court has, on a number of occasions, addressed the thorny area that lies between the public's right of fishery and the duty of the General Assembly to preserve these rights. This Court has affirmed and reaffirmed that: Therefore the whole subject of fisheries, floating and shell-fish, and all kinds of shell-fish, whether oysters, clams, quahaugs, mussels, scallops, lobsters, crabs, or fiddlers, or however they may be known and designated and wherever situate within the public domain of the state of Rhode Island, are under the fostering care of the General Assembly. It is for the Legislature to make such laws, regulating and governing the subject of lobster-culture, oyster-culture, clam culture or any other kind of pisci-culture, as they may deem expedient. They may regulate the public or private fisheries. They may even prohibit free fishing for a time and for such times as in their judgment it is for the best interest of the state so to do. They may withhold from the public use such natural oyster beds, clam beds, scallop beds or other fish beds as they may deem desirable. They may make a close time within which no person may take shellfish or other fish, and generally they have complete dominion over fisheries and fish as well as all kinds of game. We find no limitation, in the Constitution, of the power of the General Assembly to legislate in this regard, and they may delegate the administration of their regulations to such officers or boards as they may see fit. Opinion to the Senate, 87 R.I. at 39-40, 137 A.2d at 526 (quoting Payne & Butler, 31 R.I. at 327-28, 77 A. at 158). Indeed, we have said that the General Assembly's power is plenary    and is no longer open to question. Opinion to the Senate, 87 R.I. at 40, 137 A.2d at 526 (citing State v. Nelson, 31 R.I. 264, 270, 77 A. 170, 172 (1910) and Windsor v. Coggeshall, 54 R.I. 38, 169 A. 326, 327 (1933)). However, we are mindful that the power granted by the Constitution also is limited textually by the Constitution, and it is to this question we now turn.