MOREHEAD CITY - While this Friday, July 30, is the last day of the grace period for coastal fishing licenses, license sales will continue year-round, according to officials with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF).

Back in mid-June, the General Assembly approved a one-month grace period to allow fishermen more time to purchase their new fishing licenses. All DMF fishing licenses expired on June 30, 1999 and the new licenses could not go on sale until July 1. Without the grace period, every coastal fishermen who was planning to fish in July would have had to travel to a DMF license sales location on July 1 and purchase their license prior to going fishing. The grace period gave fishermen more flexibility in determining when to purchase their license.

Beginning in August, coastal fishermen must have their new 1999/2000 licenses BEFORE legally participating in fishing activities; however, fishermen DO NOT have to purchase their licenses until they plan on fishing. For example, if a fishermen just wants to fish for mullet this fall, then he only needs to purchase his licenses just prior to setting his net.

DMF licenses are on sale year-round at the following locations:

In addition, the DMF’s Recreational Commercial Gear License is also sold by approximately 200 Wildlife Resources Commission license agents throughout the state, including all North Carolina WAL-MART stores.

For more information about license sales visit the this section of the website or call Nancy Fish, DMF- Morehead City, at 252-726-7021 or 1-800-682-2632.

MOREHEAD CITY - The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) lifted a licensing provision that requires recreational fishermen who use spears to have a Recreational Commercial Gear License.

The Recreational Commercial Gear License is a new license which allows recreational fishermen to use limited amounts of commercial gear to harvest seafood for their personal consumption. In June, the General Assembly exempted gigs from this license. The MFC decided to also exempt spears to help fishermen avoid confusion about the licensing requirements.

Other MFC actions taken at a business meeting in Fayetteville on July 15-16, include the reelection of Dr. Timothy Nifong as Vice-Chairman and designation of southern flounder as the next species for fishery management plan development.

The MFC also voted to continue the suspension of a gill net attendance rule related to the management of red drum. Presentations will be made about this suspension and possible new temporary rules at upcoming MFC Regional Advisory Committee meetings.

A resolution was also approved by the MFC to ask the Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources to rescind the Finding of No Significant Impact for the Nucor Corporation steel mill project in Hertford County and require a full Environmental Impact Statement be prepared for the project.

For more information on this meeting, please contact Jess Hawkins, DMF - Morehead City, at 225-726-7021 or 1-800-682-2632.

MOREHEAD CITY - The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) is extending the deadline for interested individuals to fill vacancies on the Blue Crab Regional Stakeholder Committees until August 6, 1999. The original deadline was July 15. The deadline is being extended due to the insufficient number of applications submitted.

Blue crabs are North Carolina’s most lucrative fishery - in 1998 Tar Heel fishermen harvested $40.5 million of these crustaceans. Crabbing is also the state’s fastest growing fishery. To effectively manage this valuable public trust resource, the Blue Crab Fishery Management Plan recommends limiting the number of fishermen or restricting the number of crab pots that can be used, or a combination of both.

Five management regions were created to address the geographical differences in this fishery. The temporary committees will provide the MFC with information on regional characteristics of the blue crab fishery, the needs of fishermen in the regions, and the best way to control fishing effort in these areas.

Twelve advisors will be selected from each of the following regions:

Region 1 - Albemarle and Currituck sounds and their tributaries

Region 2 - Sound waters immediately adjacent to the barrier islands from Colington in Dare County to the North River in Carteret County, including the Croatan and Roanoke sounds

Region 3 - Pamlico, Bay and Neuse rivers and their tributaries

Region 4 - Pamlico Sound and its tributaries

Region 5 - All coastal waters from Beaufort Inlet to the South Carolina state line

Individuals interested in serving as advisors should be willing to attend meetings several times a month through 1999.

Applications are available at Division of Marine Fisheries offices or by calling the MFC staff at 252-726-7021 or 800-682-2632. Applications should be returned by August 6, 1999 to the Division of Marine Fisheries, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, NC 28557, Attention: Jess Hawkins.

MOREHEAD CITY - For the second consecutive year, king and Spanish mackerel, along with weakfish and bluefish, have shown strong signs of recovery, according to a report released by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF).

Pres Pate, DMF Director, was pleased with the results of the annual assessment, which evaluates the condition of 39 of the state’s major coastal fisheries. “In the last few years, North Carolina has made tremendous strides in fisheries management and stock recovery. This report spotlights those successes and also shows us areas where we need to be concerned,” said Pate. The Marine Fisheries Commission uses the Stock Status Report to decide priority for development of the state’s fishery management plans.

This year the number of stocks included in the report increased from 33 to 39 - the new additions include dolphin, American eel, monkfish, gag grouper, Atlantic sturgeon, and tautog. North Carolina participates in coast-wide management of these added species through its membership in federal fisheries management councils and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

Additionally, the DMF has renamed the stock status categories to Viable, Recovering, Overfished, and Unknown to more accurately reflect the terminology used by federal fisheries managers. The change in classifications allows state and federal fishery management plans to be more compatible. Categories used in previous assessments were Viable, Stressed-recovering, Stressed-declining, Depressed, and Unknown.

To conduct a stock assessment, DMF staff collect data and analyze long-term trends in the length, weight, age, catch and fishing effort for each stock. They also evaluate the total weight of the fish in a stock that are old enough to spawn, the number of juvenile or immature fish in a stock, and fishing mortality. Other information, such as natural mortality, migration, size and age at maturity, and bycatch, is also taken into consideration when determining the status of a stock.

Of the 39 stocks listed, 13 fall into the Viable or Recovering categories, six are listed as Concern, 11 are listed as Overfished and nine are listed as Unknown.

The report shows several important stocks are in trouble. Red drum, the state’s saltwater fish, is classified as Overfished because of a decline in the number of fish reaching maturity and a drop in the number of larger/older fish in the population. Southern flounder, which are primarily caught in the state’s sounds and estuaries, is listed as Concern - this stock’s increased popularity with fishermen is putting it on the verge of being over exploited.

Fish and shellfish stocks considered Viable, or healthy, are Atlantic menhaden, dolphin, Spanish and king mackerel, spot, spotted seatrout (speckled trout), striped bass in the Albemarle Sound and the ocean, bay scallops, and shrimp.

The Recovering stocks include bluefish, summer flounder, and weakfish.

Stocks listed as Concern include Atlantic croaker, black sea bass south of Cape Hatteras, southern flounder, striped mullet, reef fish, and blue crabs. Black sea bass north of Hatteras, gag grouper, monkfish, red drum, river herring in the Albemarle Sound, scup, sharks, spiny dogfish, Atlantic sturgeon, tautog, and oysters are listed as Overfished.

The DMF does not have sufficient data to conduct appropriate assessments and make responsible determinations on the status of some stocks. These stocks fall into the Unknown category and include catfishes, American eel, kingfishes (sea mullet), river herring outside of Albemarle Sound, American and hickory shad, striped bass (in waters other than the ocean, Albemarle and Roanoke sounds), white perch and hard clams. The DMF is collecting the necessary assessment information for these important fisheries, and will be moving many of these stocks into the appropriate categories in the next few years.

Visit the DMF’s web site at: www.ncdmf.net to view the new stock status report, along with species profiles and a glossary of fisheries terms. For more information about this stock status assessment, please contact Dr. Louis Daniel, DMF - Morehead City, by e-mail at louis_daniel@mail.enr.state.nc.us or by phoning at 1-800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021.

MOREHEAD CITY - The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) Is looking for interested individuals to serve as advisors on the Habitat and Water Quality, Finfish, and Northeast Regional advisory committees.

The Finfish Committee advises the MFC on matters dealing with finfish and their associated fisheries. The Northeast Regional Advisory Committee generally advises the MFC on fisheries issues pertaining to areas in the northeastern portion of the state. The Habitat and Water Quality Committee advises the MFC on habitat and water quality issues affecting Tar Heel fisheries.

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 the MFC staff at 252-726-7021 or 800-682-2632. Applications should be returned by August 6, 1999 to the Division of Marine Fisheries, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, NC 28557, Attention: Jess Hawkins.

MOREHEAD CITY - Division of Marine Fisheries’ (DMF) offices along the coast opened their doors to multitudes of fishermen who showed up bright and early this morning to be the first to purchase new DMF fishing licenses.

The new license system was created by the 1997 Fisheries Reform Act went into effect today, July 1, 1999. Fishermen will have a 29-day grace period to purchase their new licenses - after July 29, 1999 fishermen must have the new 1999/2000 license if they are fishing.

The following is a list of new licenses sold by the DMF:

Interim Crab License

These new licenses will be available by mail or from DMF offices in Elizabeth City, Columbia, Wanchese, Washington, Morehead City, and Wilmington. In addition, approximately 200 Wildlife Resources Commission license agents throughout the state will be selling the Recreational Commercial Gear License, including all Wal- Mart stores.

For more information about the grace period or the new license system, visit the DMF’s web site at: www.ncdmf.net or call toll free at 1-800-682-2632 or 1-888-254-2024 (NC only).

Click on any of the photos below to see a larger version along with photo information.