MOREHEAD CITY - Officials with the Division of Marine Fisheries have announced that they are once again extending the window for commercial landings for flounder caught in the Atlantic Ocean. The window, which was scheduled to close at 6 p.m. on January 30, will remain open until 6 p.m. on February 9, with a 5000 pound landing limit during this period.
The 1999 commercial quota for ocean-caught flounder is 2.1 million pounds. As of January 27, approximately 1,386,099 pounds of flounder have been landed.
Seafood dealers are required to report flounder landings to the DMF on a daily basis until the season closes. Staff with the DMF’s Commercial Statistics Program will process the data and compile daily totals to ensure that the quota is not exceeded.
For more information on flounder, please call David Taylor, DMF- Morehead City, at 252/726-7021 or 1-800/682-2632.
MOREHEAD CITY -- The Marine Fisheries Commission established temporary rules on the types and amounts of gear that will be allowed under the Recreational Commercial Gear License (RCGL). The Commission passes these rules regarding the RCGL license at a recent business session in Raleigh on Jan. 20-22. The 1997 Fisheries Reform Act created this new license which goes into effect July 1, 1999 at a cost of $35 for state residents and allows recreational fishermen to use limited amounts of commercial gear to harvest fish or seafood for their personal consumption - seafood harvested under this license cannot be sold. Fishermen using the RCGL will be held to recreational size and possession limits, if on a vessel, the number of possession limits allowed is equal to the number of RCGL holders aboard that vessel.
Authorized RCGLGears
With or without a vessel - No more than 100 yards of gill nets with a stretched mesh length 2 ½ inches or larger; fishermen must stay within 100 yards of their gill nets at all times;
OR
With or without a vessel - No more that 100 yards of gill nets with a stretched mesh length 5 ½ inches or larger; fishermen must stay within 100 yards of their gill nets from one hour after sunrise to one hour before sunset (no night time attendance required.)
THESE RULES APPLY REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF RCGL HOLDERS ON A VESSEL.
All RCGL gear must be marked with hot pink-colored buoys, in order to distinguish RCGL gear from commercial gear. This buoy color will not be allowed on commercial gear used in commercial fishing operations. Other restrictions and identification requirements may also apply.
Other Commission actions taken at the Jan. 20-22 business session included the decision to have the MFC regional advisory committees review a proposal to allow the harvest of 400,000 pounds of herring for the 1999 season in the Albemarle/Roanoke System, which includes the Chowan River fisheries. This would include 250,000 pounds for the Chowan River pound net fishery, 100,000 pounds for the Albemarle/ Roanoke System gill net fishery and 50,000 pounds to be used at the Division of Marine Fisheries director’s discretion. A final vote by the Commission on this proposal will most likely occur in late February.
The Commission discussed a petition that was recently received to ban trawling in North Carolina’s internal or inside waters. Trawling will be discussed a the Commission’s March 22-23 meeting in New Bern, where a report will be given by the Division of Marine Fisheries staff on the effects and impacts of trawling in North Carolina’s inside waters. Concerns raised in the trawling petition will be discussed at that time - the petition asks the Commission to consider various trawling issues within the context of fishery management plan development.
For more information, please contact Jess Hawkins, Division of Marine Fisheries - Morehead City, 252-726-7021 or 1-800-682-2632 (NC only).
Morehead City - The Division of Marine Fisheries’ (DMF) Wanchese license office will be closed January 25 - 28, 1999.
The DMF office is located at 604 Harbor Road in the Wanchese Industrial Seafood Park. Normal office hours will resume on Friday, January 29.
License can be purchased or renewed at the following locations if fishermen have their original receipts.
Willis Boat Landing
Hwy 12 South
Hatteras, NC
252-986-2208
O’Neal’s Dockside
Hwy 12
Ocracoke, NC
252-928-1111
License transfers and transfer/purchases can be complete bymail or by visiting the Morehead City License Unit at:
Division of Marine Fisheries License Unit
PO Box 769
3441 Arendell Street
Morehead City, NC 28557
For more information contact Division of Marine Fisheries License Unit at 252-726-7021 or 800-682-2632.
MOREHEAD CITY -- Representatives from the Marine Fisheries Commission will hold a business session January 20-22 at the Brownestone Hotel, 1707 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh.
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.
MOREHEAD CITY -- The 1997 Fisheries Reform Act created a new license which goes into effect July 1, 1999, that allows recreational fishermen to use limited amounts of commercial gear to harvest fish or seafood for their personal consumption. The Marine Fisheries Commission is required to develop rules to implement the Recreational Commercial Gear License (RCGL), including the type and amount of commercial gear that can be used, marking requirements for gear, and recreational possession limits. The Commission is in the process of holding meetings to gather public input on the following proposals:
Proposed Authorized RCGLGear:
Fishermen must stay within 100 yards of their gill nets at all times.
With or without a vessel - Not more than 100 yards of gill nets with a mesh length 2 ½ inches or larger. With a vessel - up to 200 yards of gill nets with a mesh length 2 ½ inches or larger per vessel, only when two or more persons aboard the vessel possess a RCGL.
Proposed Marking Requirements:
Proposed Possession Limits:
The meetings will all begin at 7 p.m. at the following locations:
Jan. 14
DENR Regional Office
127 Cardinal Dr.
Wilmington
Jan. 19
Duke Marine Lab
Piver’s Island
Beaufort
For more information on these proposals, please contact Katy West, Division of Marine Fisheries - Washington Office, 252-946-6481 or 1-800-338-7804 (NC only).