31 December 1996 MOREHEAD CITY -- The Fisheries Moratorium Steering Committee (MSC) will meet on January 3, 1997 at 9 a.m. in room 334 of the Archdale Building, 512 N. Salisbury Street, Raleigh, N.C.
The meeting is open to the public.
For more information about this meeting, contact Mike Street, Division of Marine Fisheries, at 919/726-7021 or 1-(800)682-2632.
31 December 1996 MOREHEAD CITY -- Officials with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) have announced that mechanical oyster season will close at sunset on Friday, January 10, 1997.
Bruce Freeman, DMF Director, explained that he was closing the season earlier than usual because telephone surveys of mechanical harvest permit holders have shown a very low harvest of oysters this season. “After reviewing the available catch data, we decided to close the mechanical season to protect small oysters for next year’s harvest,” said Freeman.
For more information on oyster season, please contact Mike Marshall, DMF- Morehead City, at 919/726-7021 or 1-(800)682-2632.
TO CLOSE IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN ON JAN. 3
31 December 1996 MOREHEAD CITY -- The commercial striped bass season for ocean beach seines in the Atlantic Ocean will close at 6 p.m. on Friday, January 3, 1997.
Bruce Freeman, Director of the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) announced the closure because the beach seine quota of 71,000 pounds has been reached.
The commercial striped bass season for ocean gill nets will open January 6 1997 and the ocean trawl season will open February 1, 1996.
For more information contact Harrel Johnson, DMF-Elizabeth City, at (919)264-3911 or (800)338-7805.
23 December 1996 MOREHEAD CITY -- Officials with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries have announced that the striped bass possession limit for the ocean gill net fishery will change from 100 fish per day to 25 fish per day, when the season opens January 6, 1997.
Bruce Freeman, DMF Director, announced these changes after fishermen called for the lower limit in order to prolong the fishing season. The ocean gill net fishery for striped bass will be closed when the harvest quota of 86,000 pounds is reached.
For more information, please contact Harrel Johnson, DMF - Elizabeth City, at 919/264-3911- or 1-800/338-7805.
NEW LANDING LIMITS IMPOSED
23 December 1996 MOREHEAD CITY - Officials with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) have announced that fishermen will be allowed to land commercially-caught flounder taken in North Carolina ports beginning January 1, 1997.
Bruce Freeman, DMF Director, would like to stress the following points regarding this season:
For more information, please contact Jess Hawkins, DMF-Morehead City, at 1-800/682-2632 or 919/726-7021.
19 December 1996 MOREHEAD CITY -- Officials with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) have announced today that metal tags are now available and being distributed to dealers who wish to ship weakfish to any of the New York fish markets.
More weakfish are landed in North Carolina ports than any other state on the eastern seaboard because they traditionally overwinter in the waters just south of Cape Hatteras. New York, which has some of the largest fish markets in the world, closes their weakfish season during this time of the year and their markets had been unable to accept imported weakfish. After months of negotiations between North Carolina and New York, an agreement was reached allowing the import of weakfish that are 16 inches or greater, as long as the fish are tagged.
Bruce Freeman, DMF Director, was pleased with the agreement, “This is a win-win situation for everyone, our fishermen have more marketability for their product and the New York markets have fresh seafood to offer the public. We were delighted to be able to come up with a solution that benefited everyone involved.”
Fish dealers are required to tag each individual weakfish. Everyone is reminded that weakfish shipped to New York markets must be 16 inches or larger.
The DMF is working with the North Carolina Fisheries Association (NCFA) to distribute these tags to North Carolina fish dealers. Anyone interested in receiving these tags should contact the DMF at 1-800/682-2632.
18 December 1996 MOREHEAD CITY -- The striped bass hook-and-line season will close in the Albemarle Sound Management Area at sunset on Sunday, December 22, 1996 at 5 p.m..
Bruce Freeman, Director of the Division of Marine Fisheries, announced the season closure after determining the recreational harvest quota of 14,500 pounds of striped bass will be reached by the closure date. The harvest quota is part of a state management plan to conserve and restore the striped bass fishery.
The Albemarle Sound Management Area includes the Albemarle, Currituck, Croatan and Roanoke sounds and their inland and joint water tributaries, except for the Roanoke, Eastmost, Middle and Cashie rivers.
For more information, contact Harrel B. Johnson, District Manager, Northern Regional Office, 1367 US 17 South, Elizabeth City, NC 27909 -- (800) 338-7805 or (919) 264-3911.
6 December 1996 MOREHEAD CITY -- The commercial season for striped bass in the Pamlico Sound and the Pamlico, Pungo, Bay and Neuse rivers will open on Thursday, December 12, 1996.
Bruce Freeman, Director of the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), has announced that fishermen targeting other species will be allowed to keep a by-catch of 25 percent by weight of striped bass, not to exceed five striped bass per day. These striped bass must be 18 inches or larger; any undersized fish that are caught should be handled carefully and returned to the water where taken as quickly as possible.
Freeman also announced that fishermen need to be aware of new gill net restrictions. Beginning December 12, all gill nets with a stretched mesh smaller than five inches must be attended in all portions of the Pamlico and Pungo rivers, and in the upper Bay and upper Neuse rivers. This action is being taken as a conservation measure to protect juvenile striped bass.
The commercial season on striped bass is scheduled to close at midnight on December 31, 1996, unless the harvest quotas are reached earlier.
All dealers must obtain a valid 1996 Pamlico Sound Management Area Dealer's Striped Bass Permit. Dealers are also required to place an Pamlico Sound Management Area sales tag through the gill cover on any striped bass they pack for transport, sell or offer for sale.
For more information on permits and sales tags, contact Captain Monty Willis, DMF Marine Patrol, at (919)796-1322 or (800)405-7774. For general information on this striped bass season, contact Katy West at (919)946-6481 or (800)338-7804.