MOREHEAD CITY – Effective immediately, new harvest restrictions for red porgy have gone into effect in the federal Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which is from 3 miles to 200 miles offshore in the Atlantic Ocean.

In order to stay in compliance with the Fishery Management Plan for Snapper and Grouper of the South Atlantic Region, North Carolina has implemented the following harvest restrictions:

- It unlawful to land more than 50 lb. of red porgy from May 1 – Dec. 31 in a commercial fishing operation.

- It is unlawful to sell red porgy from January through April, in order to protect these fish during their spawning season.

- Recreational fishermen can harvest one red porgy per person per day.

- The minimum size limit for red porgy is 14 inches total length for both commercial and recreational fishermen.

For more information on red porgy, please contact Dr. Louis Daniel by e-mail at Louis.Daniel@ncmail.net or by calling 252-726-7021 or 1-800-682-2632.

MOREHEAD CITY - New gillnet restrictions in a portion of the Pamlico Sound are being established to protect endangered and threatened sea turtles.

According to officials with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), last fall an unusually high number of turtle strandings occurred in the southeastern portion of the Pamlico Sound - 102 turtles were found either dead or badly injured between October and December of 1999. They included Kemp’s ridleys, loggerheads and green sea turtles.

After an investigation by both state and federal agencies, it was suspected that the deep-water, large mesh gillnet fishery for flounder was most likely responsible for a significant portion of the sea turtle strandings.

Effective Sept. 15 through Dec.15, the DMF will restrict individual fishing operations in the southeastern portion of the Pamlico Sound to 3,000 yards of large mesh gillnet (five inch or larger mesh). This yardage restriction represents a 37 percent reduction in the amount of gillnet used by fishermen in this same area during the fall of 1999.

“What we wanted to do was to find a way to protect the sea turtles and still allow our fishermen to harvest flounder,” said DMF Director Pres Pate. “I cannot say enough about the willingness of these fishermen to help find solutions to this problem. After several productive, well attended meetings in Englehard, with flounder fishermen and the National Marine Fisheries Service, I feel like we have reached a good compromise.”

Additionally, fishermen will be required to obtain a permit from the DMF to participate in this fishery. The permit requires fishermen to allow observers on their vessels to monitor turtle interactions. If an observer is not aboard the vessel, fishermen must immediately report turtle interactions. Law enforcement patrols will also be increased during this period.

In 1999, an estimated 45 vessels, primarily from Hyde, Dare and Carteret counties, participated in the large mesh gillnet flounder fishery in southeastern Pamlico Sound. Approximately 621,000 pounds of flounder valued at $1.1 million was landed by gillnets last September through December in the Pamlico Sound.

If these measures do not adequately protect the sea turtles, additional fishing restrictions will be implemented.

For more information on these restrictions or sea turtle strandings, please contact Fentress Munden by e-mail at Red.Munden@ncmail.net or Jeff Gearhart by email at Jeff.Gearhart@ncmail.net or call either of them at 252-726-7021 or 1-800-682-2632.

MOREHEAD CITY - The commercial season for the harvest of red drum, North Carolina’s state saltwater fish, will close at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2000, for the remainder of the year.

Officials with the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) estimate the 250,000-pound annual commercial harvest cap is close to being met. The harvest cap is an interim measure included in the fishery management plan process to protect overfished stocks of red drum.

Red drum, one of North Carolina’s most traditional fisheries, was listed as overfished in the most recent DMF stock status report. Several good year classes of red drum, protected by harvest reductions implemented through the fishery management plan process, are now beginning to make their way into the spawning stock. While the DMF is encouraged with this progress, stringent harvest restrictions must continue to protect and restore this valuable fishery.

As part of the fishery management plan process, interim rules can be implemented for overfished stocks to begin the recovery process and prevent any further decline in the fishery while the management plan is being developed. The Red Drum Fishery Management Plan, which is in the final stages of completion, will set out long-term management options for recovery of this important fishery.

The goals of the interim protection measures and the management plan are to restore the size and age structure of the adult spawning red drum stock and reduce directed and bycatch mortality in both commercial and recreational fisheries. To accomplish these goals, restrictions have been placed on the commercial fishery that include a harvest cap of 250,000 pounds, a 100-pound trip limit, and a seasonal requirement for fishermen to stay with small mesh gill nets at all times to reduce the discard mortality of undersized, juvenile red drum. The recreational bag limit was reduced from five fish per day to one fish per day. Neither commercial nor recreational fishermen are permitted to harvest adult red drum (fish larger than 27 inches) so they can successfully spawn over many seasons.

This closure is due, in part, to large quantities of red drum being harvested earlier this year. As a result of this intense harvest pressure, the 100-pound trip limit was reduced to five fish per operation per day in late July. However, landings had already occurred at such a high rate that the commercial harvest cap is now close to being met. The FMP will address the issue of a directed fishery and management measures are being discussed to ensure that the red drum fishery is maintained as a historical, incidental bycatch fishery.

For more information on red drum management, please contact Dr. Louis Daniel by e-mail at Louis.Daniel@ncmail.net or by phone at 252-726-7021 or 1-800-682-2632.

MOREHEAD CITY - The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) is looking for interested individuals to serve as advisors to fill vacancies on the Habitat and Water Quality Standing Advisory Committee.

The Habitat and Water Quality Committee advises the MFC on habitat and water quality issues affecting North Carolina fisheries. Individuals interested in serving as advisors should be willing to attend monthly or bi-monthly meetings 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 252-726-7021 or 800-682-2632. Applications should be returned by August 31, 2000 to Jess Hawkins, Division of Marine Fisheries, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, NC 28557.

MOREHEAD CITY – During the closing hours of the legislative session, the General Assembly finalized long-awaited license changes allowing more fishermen to participate in North Carolina’s lucrative crab fishery. Governor Hunt has just signed these changes into law.

Effective immediately, any fishermen holding a current Standard or Retired Commercial Fishing License can legally harvest crabs from North Carolina waters. Previously, about 3,600 fishermen, who held the Interim Crab License, were allowed to harvest crabs. Now, approximately 7,500 commercial fishermen will be eligible to harvest the feisty crustacean. Earlier this year, the Marine Fisheries Commission recommended the General Assembly repeal the Interim Crab License after the panel decided the crab fishery could sustain new entrants.

In 1999, crabs were the top seafood harvested in North Carolina by both volume and value. Last year, Tar Heel crabbers brought 55.9 million pounds of crabs to the dock, valued at $33.4 million.

The Interim Crab License will expire in October. Fishermen holding this license, who want to continue crabbing after October 1, 2000, need to apply for a Standard Commercial Fishing License if they do not already have one. Contact the Division of Marine Fisheries’ (DMF) License Eligibility Review Board Office for details on the application process.

The General Assembly also made minor modifications to the Recreational Commercial Gear License – a license allowing recreational fishermen to use limited amounts of commercial gear to catch seafood for personal consumption. An individual fisherman is still limited to 100 yards of gill net; however, if two or more license holders are fishing together, they may use up to 200 yards of gill net.

In addition, legislators reversed a portion of the 1997 Fisheries Reform Act authorizing the Marine Fisheries Commission to establish administrative fees for permits. The DMF will no longer charge fees for permits, including the new crab shedding permit, pound net set, Turtle Excluder Device waiver, horseshoe crab biomedical use, quota/allocation monitoring for dealers, and all other DMF permits.

For more information about licensing changes, please contact the DMF License Office at 252-726-7021 or 1-888-254-2024 (toll free).

Morehead City - A series of five public meetings will be held along the coast from August 23 - 31 to receive comments on the preferred management options in the draft Oyster and Hard Clam Fishery Management Plans (FMP).

The goal of the plans is to ensure the long-term viability of the North Carolina’s commercially and recreationally significant species or fisheries. Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) staff will be presenting the preferred management options prior to approval of the two plans by the Marine Fisheries Commission.

A citizen advisory committee composed of fishermen and scientists worked with the DMF to draft the Oyster and Hard Clam FMPs. The public is encouraged to provide comments to improve the content of the plans and to voice their opinion on the draft recommendations. The meeting dates and locations are:

For more information on these meetings or to receive a copy of the draft FMPs, please contact Mike Marshall or Trish Murphey, Division of Marine Fisheries, at 1-800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021. Copies of the draft plans can be downloaded from the Division of Marine Fisheries website at www.ncdmf.net.

MOREHEAD CITY – Fisheries managers are beginning to see several years of hard work pay off as a number of important stocks respond to recovery strategies mapped out in the fishery management plan process. The Division of Marine Fisheries’ annual stock status report evaluates the health of North Carolina’s major coastal fisheries, spotlighting successes, as well as areas of concern. Of the 39 stocks listed, 12 fall into the Viable and Recovering categories, eight are listed as Concerned, 10 are listed as Overfished, and nine are listed as Unknown. The Marine Fisheries Commission uses this report to decide priority development of the state’s fishery management plans.

“While there were only two classification changes in the 2000 report - bay scallops moved from viable to concerned and oysters moved from overfished to concerned - finfish are showing good signs of improvement,” said DMF Director Pres Pate. “Several important stocks are on the road to recovery as a result of important strides North Carolina has made in fisheries management over the last few years.”

Fisheries management plans, which were required by the 1997 Fisheries Reform Act, map out long-term management strategies for the state’s economically important species. This relatively new management approach, also used by federal and regional management boards, allows North Carolina to be proactive, rather than reactive, with management issues Highlights of the report include red drum, North Carolina’s state saltwater fish, which has produced several good year classes that are making their way into the spawning stock. This resurgence is, in part, a result of commercial and recreational harvest reductions that began in 1998. Although the stock is still listed as Overfished, and stringent harvest restrictions need to continue, fisheries managers are encouraged by the progress red drum is making.

Weakfish and summer flounder stocks continue strong recoveries under management measures implemented by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, of which North Carolina is a partner. Spanish and king mackerel, and striped bass stocks, which are Viable, continue to show increases in abundance, again, as a result of recovery strategies implemented through the fishery management plan process.

While there has been great success in the recovery of many stocks, there are still several species that concern North Carolina’s fisheries managers. Southern flounder, primarily found in Tar Heel sounds and inside waters, continue to be heavily targeted by fishermen. The stock is primarily comprised of one and two year old fish; however, the species can live to be up to eight years old.

The fishery for striped mullet has changed from primarily a fall roe fishery in the ocean to a year-round fishery occurring throughout coastal waters. This increased pressure has depressed harvest landings. The DMF has begun intensive sampling to assess the impact increased fishing pressure has on this important stock. The ever-popular croaker also has scientists worried - while ocean stocks are abundant, croaker in North Carolina’s sounds are scarce, raising concerns about the condition of this stock.

Bay scallops were moved from the Viable to the Concerned category due to several poor spawning seasons. This lack of recruitment has resulted in decreased numbers of scallops in Core Sound, where the bulk of the harvest occurs. Oysters were reclassified from Overfished to Concerned because habitat disturbances, water quality and disease play just as much as a role in the status of oysters as overfishing.

While Hurricane Floyd prevented fishermen from catching fish - 1999 saw the smallest seafood harvest in 26 years - it initially appears the storm had minimal impact on the overall health of North Carolina’s fish stocks. Bay scallops were the only stock downgraded and that decline was not related to the hurricane. In addition, toxin sampling of fish, shrimp and crabs done in October 1999 showed North Carolina seafood to be safe. The DMF plans to use federal relief monies to conduct additional monitoring and sampling programs to look at possible long-term effects of Hurricane Floyd.

To determine the status of Tar Heel fisheries, the DMF collects data and analyzes long-term trends in the length, weight, age, catch and fishing effort for each stock. It 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.

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, and shrimp.

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

Stocks listed as Concerned include Atlantic croaker, black sea bass south of Cape Hatteras, southern flounder, striped mullet, reef fish, bay scallops, oysters 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 and tautog are listed as Overfished.

The DMF does not have sufficient data to conduct appropriate assessments on the status of some stocks. These stocks are listed as Unknown 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@ncmail.net or by phoning at 1-800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021.