January 30(A), 1997 ~ January 30, 1997 ~ January 23, 1997 ~ January 8, 1997

January 7(B), 1997 ~ January 7(A), 1997 ~ January 7, 1997

COMMERCIAL STRIPED BASS SEASON TO REOPEN FEB. 1 IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN

January 30 MOREHEAD CITY -- The commercial season for striped bass in the Atlantic Ocean will reopen for beach seines, gill nets and ocean trawls, on February 1, 1997.

Bruce Freeman, Director of the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), has announced he is reopening both the beach seine and gill net fisheries because all of the available striped bass quota was not taken during the earlier fishing seasons. Fishermen will be allowed to retain five striped bass per day using these two gear types, in order to allow a bycatch of striped bass in fisheries targeting other species such as weakfish, speckled trout and bluefish. The ocean trawl season will open as scheduled, without changes.

Fishermen using commercial gear in the Atlantic Ocean may keep striped bass 28 inches or larger. Undersized striped bass should be carefully handled and returned to the water where taken as quickly as possible, regardless of the condition of the fish.

The following is a revised summary of striped bass possession limits and harvest quotas that apply to various gears used in the Atlantic Ocean this season:

GEAR POSSESSION LIMITQUOTA AVAILABLE
Beach Seines5 fish per crew, per day14,000 pounds
Gill Nets 5 fish per vessel, per day20,000 pounds
Trawls 100 fish per vessel, per trip164,000 pounds
The commercial season on striped bass in the Atlantic Ocean is scheduled to close on March 31, 1997, unless the harvest quotas are reached earlier.

For more information on the striped bass season, contact Harrel Johnson, DMF- Elizabeth City, at (919)264-3911 or (800) 338-7805.

MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION TO HOLD EMERGENCY MEETING ON JAN. 31

January 30 MOREHEAD CITY -- The Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) will hold an emergency meeting on January 31, 1997 at 11 a.m. via telephone conference.

Facilities will be made available for the public to listen to the proceedings at the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), 3441 Arendell Street, Morehead City, North Carolina.

Bob Lucas, MFC Chairman, announced the emergency meeting will be held to discuss closing portions of the ocean to trawling to protect juvenile stocks of finfish.

For more information on this meeting, contact Juanita Gaskill, DMF-Morehead City, at 1-800/682-2632 or 919/726-7021.

GILL NET RESTRICTIONS EASED FOR BAY, PAMLICO, PUNGO, NEUSE AND TRENT RIVERS

January 23 MOREHEAD CITY -- Officials with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) have announced they are relaxing attendance requirements for gill nets in the Bay, Pamlico, Pungo, Neuse and Trent rivers effective Friday, January 24, 1997.

Bruce Freeman, DMF Director, announced these changes in an effort to continue to protect undersized striped bass in these river systems, while allowing the harvest of other types of fish. Previously, fishermen were required to attend their gill nets, which means they had to be within 100 yards of their net sets at all times. These new requirements either eliminate or greatly reduce the attendance requirements in the following areas:

  • Bay River No attendance requirement

  • Pamlico River Attendance required for nets with stretched mesh sizes less than five inches above lines from Mauls Point to Ragged Point. Attendance is also required in nets with a stretched mesh greater than three and one-half inches but less than five inches which are set within 200 yards of the shore.

  • Pungo River Attendance required in nets with stretched mesh sizes less than five inches above lines from Durrants Point to the northern side of the Breakwater. Attendance is also required in nets with a stretched mesh greater than three and one-half inches but less than five inches which are set within 200 yards of the shore.

  • Neuse/Trent Rivers Attendance required in nets with stretched mesh sizes less than five inches above the Hwy. 70 and Hwy. 17 bridges. No attendance is required in joint waters and coastal waters of Northeast, Upper Broad and Goose creeks. Attendance is also required in nets with a stretched mesh greater than three and one-half inches but less than five inches which are set within 200 yards of the shore below the Hwy.70 and Hwy.17 bridges to a line that runs from Wilkinson Point to Cherry Point in the Neuse River.

    For more information on gill net requirements in these areas, please contact Katy West, DMF-Washington, at 1-800/338-7804 or 919/946-6481.

    ***MEETING LOCATION CHANGED***

    FISHERIES MORATORIUM STEERING COMMITTEE TO MEET ON JANUARY 10

    January 8 MOREHEAD CITY -- The Fisheries Moratorium Steering Committee (MSC) will meet on January 10, 1997 at 10 a.m. at the Crystal Coast Civic Center, Highway 70 East, 3505 Arendell Street, Morehead City, N.C. The meeting had originally been scheduled to be held in Smithfield, 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.

    STRIPED BASS SEASON FOR OCEAN GILL NETS TO CLOSE IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN ON JAN. 9

    January 7 MOREHEAD CITY -- The commercial striped bass season for gill nets in the Atlantic Ocean will close at 6 p.m. on Thursday, January 9, 1997.

    Bruce Freeman, Director of the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) announced the closure because it is projected that the striped bass gill net quota of 86,000 pounds will be reached on Thursday.

    The commercial striped bass season for ocean trawls will open Feb. 1, 1997.

    For more information contact Harrel Johnson, DMF-Elizabeth City, at (919)264-3911 or (800)338-7805.

    FISHERIES MORATORIUM STEERING COMMITTEE TO MEET ON JANUARY 10
    January 7 MOREHEAD CITY -- The Fisheries Moratorium Steering Committee (MSC) will meet on January 10, 1997 at 10 a.m. at the Smithfield-Selma Chamber of Commerce, 115 Industrial Park Drive, Smithfield, 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

    NC PORTS TO CLOSE JANUARY 10 FOR COMMERCIAL FLOUNDER LANDINGS

    January 7 MOREHEAD CITY -- North Carolina ports will be closed to the landing of flounder caught in the Atlantic Ocean with commercial gear beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday, January 10, 1997.

    Bruce Freeman, the Director of the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), would like to stress the following points regarding this action:

  • This closure does NOT affect recreational catches of flounder.

  • This closure pertains only to flounder caught with commercial gear in the Atlantic Ocean. It does not apply to flounder caught in sounds or estuaries.

  • Fishermen will be allowed to land up to 100 pounds of ocean caught flounder as a bycatch in non-flounder fisheries, such as the shrimp trawl fishery.

  • For the purposes of this action, the term “land” means the boat is being unloaded or tied to the dock.

    • “This closure was triggered because it is projected that North Carolina will have taken 70 percent of its annual commercial flounder quota by Friday afternoon,” said Freeman. “By Marine Fisheries Commission rule, we are required to reserve 30 percent of our quota for the fall flounder season.”

    North Carolina ports will reopen to the landing of flounder caught with commercial gear from the Atlantic Ocean on November 1, 1997.

    For more information, please contact Dennis Spitsbergen or Rick Monaghan, DMF- Morehead City, at (800) 682-2632 or (919) 726-7021.