January 30 MOREHEAD CITY -- In a final report released today, State Auditor Ralph Campbell, Jr. announced that the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) has made significant strides and was now in a position to assume additional responsibilities.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Wayne McDevitt praised the “professionalism and efficiency” of Campbell and his team. McDevitt noted that “during the year that this audit has taken place, the auditors worked closely with both DENR and DMF management to identify and resolve problem areas. This audit will serve as a tremendously helpful tool as we continue to improve our ability to manage the state’s fisheries.”

DMF Director Preston Pate had similar praise, “The audit team really got in there, rolled up their sleaves and helped us work out a lot of issues. Their guidance and input helped us correct problems with our operational procedures and chart the course for future improvements.”

The intent of the audit, which was undertaken at the request of the General Assembly, was to determine the current and future capabilities of the DMF and to ascertain the capacity of the DMF to effectively implement the provisions of the Fisheries Reform Act of 1997.

While the report states that the DMF has made significant strides in improving its internal practices and procedures since the interim report in May 1997, it also cautions that the DMF needs sufficient resources, in both personnel and technology, to effectively handle the new responsibilities contained in the Fisheries Reform Act. View Auditor's Report On-Line.

January 27 MOREHEAD CITY -- The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) will hold a business meeting on February 19 and 20, at 9 a.m., at the Blockade Runner Hotel in Wrightsville Beach, N.C.

The meeting is open to the public and will begin with a one-hour public comment period.

For more information, contact Jess Hawkins, DMF- Morehead City, at 1-800/682-2632 or 919/726-7021.

The season will close on Friday, February 13, 1998.

The flounder season was extended to allow fishermen to harvest the entire winter quota of 1.9 million pounds. During the initial flounder season, which ran from January 1 - 13, fishermen harvested just under 1.2 million pounds of ocean-caught flounder, leaving approximately 710,000 pounds of flounder in reserve. After careful review of the landings and discussions with the fishing industry, the DMF decided to reopen the season to allow the harvest of the remaining quota.

For more information on flounder, please call Jess Hawkins, DMF-Morehead City, at 919/726-7021 or 1-800/682-2632.

January 12 MOREHEAD CITY -- The commercial striped bass season for gill nets in the Atlantic Ocean will close at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, January 14, 1998.

Officials with the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) announced the closure because it is projected that the striped bass gill net allocation will be reached on Wednesday.

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

January 7 MOREHEAD CITY -- After a careful review of landings data, officials with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) today announced they would leave the season for ocean-caught flounder open until midnight on Tuesday, January 13, 1998, unless the winter quota of 1.9 million pounds is reached earlier.

As part of that review, DMF officials have decided to leave the 1998 winter flounder season open after the initial harvest of 1.2 million pounds and allow fishermen to harvest the entire 1.9 million pound winter quota during this season - the DMF was originally going to hold 650,000 pounds of the quota in reserve to ensure that the winter quota was not exceeded. All original restrictions regarding trip limits and landing days will still apply.

“This action will allow all properly licensed vessels to have the opportunity to land up to 7,500 pounds between January 1 - 7, and then land another 7,500 pounds between January 8-13," said DMF Director Pres Pate. “Our landings data show us that there appears to have been good compliance with the trip limits and landing days,” says Pate, “so rather than stop the season at 1.2 million pounds as originally planned, we are going to let fishermen go ahead and harvest the entire winter quota at this time.”

As of January 6, 1998 reported flounder landings were 683,061 pounds.

For more information on flounder landings, please call Dee Lupton, DMF-Morehead City, at 919/726-7021 or 1-800/682-2632.

January 6 MOREHEAD CITY - Just five days after the 1998 commercial season opened, fishermen have landed over half of the initial winter quota for ocean-caught flounder, according to officials with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF).

As of January 5, 1998, reported flounder landings were at 634,722 pounds. The season opened January 1, 1998 and is scheduled to close on January 14, or when 1.25 million pounds of flounder are landed.

By rule, the DMF must allot 70 percent of the harvest quota for the winter flounder season and 30 percent of the quota for the fall flounder season. Under this rule, the winter flounder harvest quota for 1998 is 1.9 million pounds. The DMF will allow the initial harvest of 1.25 million pounds of flounder and hold 650,000 pounds in reserve to ensure that the winter quota is not exceeded. In 1996 and 1997, commercial fishermen were unable to harvest ocean-caught flounder during the fall season because the annual quota was taken during the previous winter season.

Once the initial landings have been reviewed, DMF staff will meet with flounder fishermen to determine how to allocate the remaining quota.

For more information on flounder landings, please call Dee Lupton, DMF-Morehead City, at 919/726-7021 or 1-800/682-2632.

January 5 MOREHEAD CITY -- The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), in cooperation with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), has implemented a new mandatory tagging program for recreational anglers who catch bluefin tuna in North Carolina in 1998.

Before landing a bluefin tuna in North Carolina, recreational anglers must obtain a landing tag and affix it to the fish. To obtain a landing tag, captains or operators of permitted vessels must complete a catch card, available at bluefin tuna reporting stations along the coast. The purpose of this pilot program is to improve the quality of harvest statistics and promote positive fishermen participation in the bluefin tuna fishery.

In order to discuss these requirements in detail, the NMFS has scheduled the following meetings:

Jan. 7 at 8 p.m.
Hatteras Civic Center
Hatteras

Jan. 8 at 7 p.m.
Duke Marine Lab - Piver's Island
Beaufort

For more information about these meetings or to obtain information about the bluefin tuna pilot tagging program, please call Doug Mumford, DMF-Washington, at 1-800/338-7804 or the Highly Migratory Species Management Division of the NMFS at 301/713-2347.

January 5 MOREHEAD CITY - The state’s commercial landings for ocean-caught flounder are “going well,” according Preston Pate, Director of the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF).

As of January 4, 1998, fishermen reported flounder landings of 462,868 pounds. The season opened January 1, 1998 and is scheduled to close on January 14, or when 1.25 million pounds of flounder is landed. Landings of ocean-caught flounder are controlled under a fisheries management plan administered by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Seafood dealers are required to report flounder landings to the DMF on a daily basis. Staff with the DMF’s Commercial Statistics Program immediately process the data and compile daily totals.

By rule, the DMF must allot 70 percent of the harvest quota for the winter flounder season and 30 percent of the quota for the fall flounder season. Under this rule, the winter flounder harvest quota for 1998 is 1.9 million pounds. The DMF will allow the initial harvest of 1.25 million pounds of flounder and hold 650,000 pounds in reserve to ensure that the winter quota is not exceeded. Once fisheries managers have reviewed the initial landings, the winter flounder fishery will be reopened to allow the harvest of the remaining quota.

For more information on flounder landings, please call Dee Lupton, DMF-Morehead City, at 919/726-7021 or 1-800/682-2632.