Contact: Patricia Smith
Date: May 7, 2008
Phone: (252) 726-7021

SOME DARE COUNTY WATERS CLOSE TO TRAWLING

MOREHEAD CITY – The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is reminding fishermen that the Dare County waters of Outer Shallowbag Bay and Kitty Hawk Bay/Buzzard Bay will close to shrimp and crab trawling at 12:01 a.m. May 15.

The Marine Fisheries Commission has designated these bays as special secondary nursery areas. By rule, they close to trawling each year between May 15 and August 15 to protect small fish and shrimp as they grow.

The rule allows the division director to reopen special secondary nursery areas in mid-August when the small fish and shrimp have moved out of these bays.