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RAINFALL SHUTS DOWN NEUSE RIVER TO TRAWLING

13 June - MOREHEAD CITY - Heavy rainfall Wednesday and predictions of continued rainy weather associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Allison has caused the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries to close the Neuse River to shrimp and crab trawling.

Large amounts of freshwater runoff from the rains is forcing undersized, juvenile brown shrimp out of small creeks and estuaries and into the higher salinity areas of the Neuse River. The closure is necessary to protect the small brown shrimp from harvest.

Once the salinity levels return to normal and the undersized brown shrimp go back to their nursery areas or grow to a larger size, trawling activities will be allowed to resume. Brown shrimp generally stay in the upper reaches of the Neuse River and its smaller tributaries until early to mid summer, when they are much larger and begin migrating to the ocean.

For more information on shrimping activities, please contact Rick Monaghan by e-mail at Rick.Monaghan@ncmail.net or by calling 1-800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021.

THE GIG IS UP FOR RED DRUM

13 June - MOREHEAD CITY - Gigging red drum will soon be a thing of the past in North Carolina's coastal waters.

Effective Monday, June 18, gigging, gaffing or spearing red drum will be prohibited in both commercial and recreational fisheries, according to officials with the state Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF).

Red drum, the state saltwater fish, is listed as overfished in the most recent assessment of North Carolina's fisheries. Stringent management measures and fishing restrictions are in place to aid the stock in the recovery process.

According to DMF Director Preston Pate, one of the major tenets of the Red Drum Fishery Management Plan is the popular fish can only be taken in a bycatch capacity; in other words, fishermen cannot target red drum when they are fishing, but are allowed to keep a limited number if they unintentionally catch the fish.

"You don't accidentally gig a fish," said Pate, "That's why we are prohibiting this type of gear in the red drum fishery."

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

STATE UNVEILS NEW RECREATIONAL CATCH LIMITS FOR WEAKFISH

13 June - MOREHEAD CITY - Anglers will soon have more flexibility in deciding which fish to keep and which ones to throw back.

Effective Monday, June 18, recreational fishermen will have the option of keeping up to four weakfish under 14 inches per day OR up to 10 weakfish that are 14 inches or larger. No weakfish can be retained that are less than 12 inches.

The DMF made the change in response to complaints from fishermen that there were very few 14-inch weakfish available, most fishermen are catching weakfish in the 12-inch to 13-inch range.

According to Division of Marine Fisheries Director Preston Pate, his agency has altered limits throughout the years between a 4 fish/12-inch limit and a 10 fish/14-inch limit. "The varying size limits have the same conservation equivalency for fishery management purposes, so we decided to let the individual fisherman choose which size fish was most appropriate for his purposes," said Pate.

Anglers have to abide by one or the other of the size limits. For example, they cannot keep four weakfish between 12 inches to 14 inches and also possess weakfish that are 14 inches or larger - they have to stick with one size limit or the other. In addition, if anglers are fishing from a vessel, everyone on that vessel must stay with the same size limit.

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

COMMERCIAL LICENSE DEADLINE APPROACHES

13 June - MOREHEAD CITY - Commercial fishermen are reminded they only have a few days before their current fishing licenses expire.

All 2000/2001 commercial fishing licenses expire at midnight on June 30, 2001. In order to legally fish beginning July 1, fishermen must have a new 2001/2002 license.

Fishermen have the option of mailing in their applications or visiting any of the six DMF license offices along the coast to renew their licenses. It takes approximately two weeks to process an application via the mail. Fishermen are reminded to bring in current licenses and a photo identification for walk-in renewals.

This is the second year the DMF has offered the early renewal service. Since early May, 4,638 licenses have been renewed, which is roughly15 percent of the 30,000 licenses typically sold during the fishing year.

Fishermen holding 1999/2000 Standard or Retired Commercial Fishing Licenses need to renew these licenses by June 30, 2001 to be eligible for the 2001/2002 licenses.

The Recreational Commercial Gear License (RCGL) expires one year from the date of purchase and can be renewed through any DMF license office or by visiting an authorized Wildlife Resources Commission license agent.

For more information regarding commercial fishing licenses, please call 252-726-7021 or 1-888-254-2024 (toll free).

NC Division of Marine Fisheries - 3441 Arendell Street - Morehead City, NC 28557 - 252-726-7021 or 800-682-2632