MOREHEAD CITY - James Winch of Ocracoke has landed the bragging rights for the largest king mackerel ever caught along the North Carolina coast.

On April 19, 1999, 25 miles offshore from Ocracoke, Winch hauled in a 82 lb. 4 oz. king mackerel that was 66" long, breaking a long-standing state record for the royal fish. The lucky angler caught the prize mackerel trolling ballyhoo with an Eyecatcher Lure (Black/Red Outlaw), aboard the charterboat, Drum Stick, captained by David Nagel out of the Anchorage Marina in Ocracoke.

Female king mackerel are generally larger than males. This fish was a female estimated to be over 20-years-old. King mackerel earn their name because they are the largest mackerel in the western Atlantic and are generally found in ocean waters from Virginia to Brazil. King mackerel stocks are identified as viable or healthy by the N.C. by the Division of Marine Fisheries. In 1997, recreational anglers landed 1,801,967 lbs. of king mackerel, while commercial fishermen landed 1,558,528 lbs. in the Tar Heel State.

For 14 years, Clifton Moss of Atlantic Beach held the N. C. record for a 79 lb. king caught off Cape Hatteras in 1985. The Division of Marine Fisheries maintains and certifies state records for saltwater fish and administers the popular N.C. Saltwater Fishing Tournament Program. This program recognizes outstanding angling achievement and awards certificates to anglers who catch fish at or over minimum weights.

To view a photo of Winch and his prize catch, you can visit the Division’s web site at: www.ncdmf.net/releases/april99.htm (photo by Hal Snyder) Captain David Nagel (left) and angler James Winch

For more information about the N.C. Saltwater Fishing Tournament Program, please contact Dale Ward at 252-726-7021 or 800-682-2632.

MOREHEAD CITY - In response to concerns raised by commercial fishermen, Preston Pate, the Director of the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), has taken the unusual step of suspending a Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) rule that requires fishermen to attend small mesh gill nets in coastal waters.

Last fall, the MFC passed preventative temporary measures to protect declining stocks of red drum - North Carolina’s state saltwater fish - as part of a management plan. One of those measures was a requirement to attend gill nets less than five-inch stretched mesh from May 1-Oct. 31 of each year in coastal waters. An attendance requirement means fishermen must stay within 100 yards of the net at all times. This requirement was intended to improve the survival of undersized red drum by having fishermen release the captured fish immediately after they are caught in the net.

No public comments were received on the issue prior to the passage of these rules. However, after the rule became effective, the state received many comments from fishermen about the impacts of the attendance requirement on fishing activities that do not pose a threat to red drum, including the summer float gill net fishery for bluefish and Spanish mackerel, as well as the fall set net fisheries for spot and striped mullet. In a spirit of cooperation, fishermen worked closely with the DMF and the MFC’s Red Drum Fishery Management Plan Advisory Committee, which is comprised of commercial fishermen, recreational anglers and scientists, to develop an alternative to the gill net attendance requirement that would continue to protect juvenile red drum.

Based on the public comment and a recommendation from the advisory committee, and with the concurrence of the MFC, Pate took the uncommon step of suspending the attendance requirement rule effective May 2, 1999.

It is highly irregular for the DMF Director to suspend a MFC rule; however, this was the only way the agency could respond to the fishermen’s concerns in a timely manner. Under a law passed by the N.C. General Assembly last year, the MFC must take any proposed rule change before all four of its regional advisory committees before taking any final action. This delay would have eliminated the float gill net fishery for bluefish and Spanish Mackerel, which occurs in spring and early summer, because the rule change could not have made it through all of the administrative hurdles until the July or September Commission meeting.

Areas that still required attendance of gill nets less than five-inch stretched mesh because they have high concentrations of juvenile red drum include:

All Primary and Secondary Nursery Areas
Within 200 yards of any shoreline
All current and modified “No Trawl” areas
Upper portions of the Pamlico, Pungo, Neuse and Trent rivers

The following red drum restrictions are still in effect:

Size Restrictions - Prohibit the possession or sale of red drum larger than 27 inches.
Bag Limits - Reduce the recreational bag limit to one fish per day between the sizes of 18-27 inches.
Harvest Limits - Implementation of a year-round commercial daily trip limit of 100 pounds with a 250,000 pounds annual quota.

Red drum have a long life span and can live up to 60 years. Unlike many fish that reproduce at an early age, red drum do not reach maturity (spawn and reproduce) until they are approximately 4-years-old and 27 to 30 inches in length. In the Division of Marine Fisheries’ most recent stock status report, identified a dramatic decline in the number of red drum reaching maturity and listed the fish as “stressed-declining.” A stock is considered to be in trouble if there are not enough mature fish to continue producing young fish at a consistent level.

As part of the fishery management planning process, the Commission is required to develop measures to stabilize the red drum stock until a fishery management plan can be completed and implemented.

For more information on these rules, please contact Dr. Louis Daniel, DMF- Morehead City, at 252/726-7021 or 1-800/682-2632.

People all over the United States will be celebrating Earth Day on April 22 - Marine Fisheries is commemorating the day with a special ceremony celebrating the addition of the Roanoke to their law enforcement fleet. This 48-foot ocean patrol vessel will be used to ensure compliance with conservation regulations and promote sustainable marine and estuarine fisheries for the benefit of the citizens of North Carolina.

Marine Fisheries partnered with the North Carolina Aquariums to conduct a contest for children to name this vessel. Approximately 500 names were submitted from around the country. Eight-year-old Sean Weichel of Columbia submitted the winning entry - Roanoke. Sean’s contribution will be recognized at this event, where he will be sworn in as an honorary Marine Patrol Officer, Junior Grade.

For more information about this event, please contact Nancy Fish, Division of Marine Fisheries, at 1-800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021.

Click on boat for larger version.

MOREHEAD CITY - After several months of intense discussion and debate about reducing effort management for the blue crab fishery, the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) has decided any options developed should be designed to incorporate the significant regional differences in this valuable fishery.

The blue crabs are not only the most lucrative of the state’s fisheries, bringing in $40.5 million in 1998, they are also North Carolina’s fastest growing commercial fishery. Effort management means stabilizing the impact on the crab resource by either limiting the number of fishermen or restricting the number of crab pots that can be used, or a combination of both.

At a recent series of coast-wide meetings regarding effort management options, a great deal of public comment focused on regional differences in the blue crab fishery. Many fishermen voiced concerns that management options for one area of the state would not be suitable for other areas. For example, the Albemarle Sound supports a much larger crab fishery than the mouth of the Cape Fear River, therefore the number of pots allowed or the number of fishermen licensed to fish for crabs in the Albemarle Sound area needs to be larger, according those who spoke at the meetings.

During a business session on March 13 in Atlantic Beach, the MFC requested that the Division of Marine Fisheries develop coastal regions with similar crab populations and fishing practices and create stakeholder advisory committees for each region. Additionally, the MFC directed the Division to develop a pot tagging system that would identify the number and type of crab pots being used in North Carolina’s coastal waters. The Division will present this information at the next MFC meeting May 13-14 at Kill Devil Hills.

The MFC has also requested that the General Assembly extend the current crab license until October 1, 2000 in order to allow adequate time to develop an appropriate blue crab management system. Currently, the license is scheduled to expire on July 1, 1999 when the license moratorium is lifted.

For more information, please contact Jess Hawkins, Division of Marine Fisheries, at 1-800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021.

b>MOREHEAD CITY -- The Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) will hold five public meetings in April to receive suggestions and comments regarding clutch planting sites, methods, materials and quantities.

The DMF Shellfish Rehabilitation Program is in charge of clutch planting, where shells and rock are placed in formerly productive shellfish areas to rebuild shellfish habitat. In order to constantly improve the program, annual meetings are held along the coast to allow the DMF to receive comments from fishermen and interested parties regarding the planting process.

The dates and locations of the meetings are:

For more information, or to submit written comments, contact Craig Hardy, DMF, PO Box 769, Morehead City, NC 28557, 1-800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021 or Greg Allen, DMF, PO Box 539, Wanchese, NC 27981, 252-473-1512.

MOREHEAD CITY -- The Marine Fisheries Commission will hold a business session April 12-13 at the Sheraton Hotel, at Atlantic Beach.

The meeting is open to the public.

For more information, contact Jess Hawkins, DMF-Morehead City, at 1-800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021.

See Agenda

MOREHEAD CITY - Mike Davis has been promoted to Captain of the Central District for the North Carolina Marine Patrol. The Marine Patrol is the law enforcement branch of the Division of Marine Fisheries.

Davis, a native of Beaufort, joined the Marine Patrol in 1983. He severed as a field officer in Cedar Island until 1993 when he was promoted to Assistant Supervisor. In 1994 Davis was transferred to the position of Headquarters Lieutenant, where he served until this latest promotion.

The Marine Patrol has three law enforcement districts: Northern, Central and Southern. The Central District encompasses Carteret, Craven, Pamlico, Beaufort and Jones counties. Davis' office is located at Marine Fisheries Headquarters in Morehead City.

Click photo for larger version.

MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION SEEKS ADVISORS FOR RIVER HERRING FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN COMMITTEE

MOREHEAD CITY - The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) is looking for interested individuals to fill vacancies on the River Herring Fishery Management Plan (FMP) Committee.

The River Herring FMP Committee will assist in the development of a River Herring FMP. The Committee will be composed of commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen, and scientists with expertise with the river herring fisheries. The Fishery Reform Act provides that FMPs shall be prepared for all commercially or recreationally important species. Fishery management plans develop specified management goals for a fishery including information on the nature and concerns of the fisheries, and develops management options to deal with these issues.

Individuals interested in serving as advisors should be willing to attend meetings at least once every two months and actively participate in the committee process. Advisors will be reimbursed for travel and other expenses incurred in relation to their official duties.

Applications are available at Division of Marine Fisheries offices or by calling 252-726-7021 or 800-682-2632. Applications should be returned by April 16, 1999 to the Division of Marine Fisheries, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, NC 28557, Attention: Jess Hawkins.

MOREHEAD CITY - The Division of Marine Fisheries is in the process of soliciting bids from fishermen to trawl for tires that broke free from an artificial reef off of Bogue Banks during last year’s hurricane season.

While thousands of tires washed ashore, many more tires remained scattered along ocean floor. The tires that washed ashore have been removed; however, tires in still in the water can become entangled in fishing nets and cause damage to fishing gear. The Division is wanting to contract trawlers over 50 feet in length to collect the tires from the ocean floor off of Atlantic Beach and Pine Knoll Shores.

Fishermen interested in submitting bids for removing the tires should contact Division of Purchase Services at 919-733-9746. Bids will be open in Raleigh at 2 p.m. on April 12.

MOREHEAD CITY - The Division of Marine Fisheries would like to remind commercial fishermen about several weakfish restrictions that have been in effect for several years.

Weakfish may not be possessed by commercial fishermen who are using shrimp or crab trawls within 200 miles of the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean. In addition, fishermen using gill nets with a stretched mesh less than 2 7/8 inches in state waters or within 200 miles of the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean cannot possess more than 150 pounds of weakfish during any one day or fishing trip, whichever is longer.

For additional information on weakfish, please contact Dr. Louis Daniel at 252-726-7021 or 1-800-682-2632.

Weakfish are also known as gray trout in some areas of the coast.

The old harvest limits were four fish per day at 12 inches, but those limits will change based on comments from the recreational community that anglers were willing to have an increased size limit, if they could catch more fish.

The weakfish management plan for the Atlantic Coast allows for various size and bag limits that achieve equal conservation goals. Because a 14 inch weakfish has spawned at least twice, more of that size fish can be harvested and still maintain a healthy population.

For additional information on weakfish, please contact Dr. Louis Daniel at 252-726-7021 or 1-800-682-2632.

MOREHEAD CITY -- The commercial season for striped bass in the Pamlico Sound and the Pamlico, Pungo, Bay and Neuse rivers will close at 6 a.m. Monday, April 5, 1999.

Officials with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) announced the closure because it is projected that 70 percent of the 25,000 pound striped bass harvest quota will be reached by April 5. The remaining 30 percent of the quota will be used this fall when the season opens in October.

This action does not impact or include the Albemarle Sound Management Area or the Cape Fear River.

For more information regarding this closure, contact Chris Wilson at 252-946-6481 or 1-800- 338-7804.