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MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION SEEKS ADVISORS

Morehead City - The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) is looking for interested individuals to fill vacancies on all eight of its advisory committees.

MFC advisors serve three-year staggered terms, many of which expire at the end of 2001. The MFC is soliciting advisors for the Finfish, Habitat and Water Quality, Crustacean, and Shellfish committees, in addition to four regional advisory committees from the following areas:

Northeast: Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Martin, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell, and Washington counties.

Central: Beaufort, Carteret, Craven, Hyde, Jones, and Pamlico counties.

Southeast: Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, Onslow, and Pender counties.

Inland: All other counties.

Advisory committees provide information and guidance to the MFC when developing future fisheries regulations. Individuals interested in serving as advisors should be willing to attend at least bimonthly meetings and actively participate in the committee process. Advisors will be reimbursed for travel and other expenses incurred in relation to official duties.

The MFC will be accepting applications for these openings until January 17, 2002. Applications are available at North Carolina Division of Marine Fishers offices or can be obtained by calling Jess Hawkins or Belinda Loftin at 800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021.

FISHING LICENSE OFFICES TO BE CLOSED DEC. 19

MOREHEAD CITY - Division of Marine Fisheries' license offices in Elizabeth City, Columbia, Wanchese, Washington and Wilmington will be closed Wendesday, Dec. 19, so that staff can attend an annual employee meeting. The license office in Morehead City will remain open during this time.

For more information, please contact Brenda Clark by e-mail at Brenda.Clark@ncmail.net or by calling 252-726-7021 or 1-888-254-2024 (toll free).

CORE SOUND STAKEHOLDER MEETING DEC. 13

NR-48-2001 - MOREHEAD CITY - The first meeting of the Core Sound Stakeholder Committee will be Thursday, Dec. 13, at 6 p.m., Duke Marine Lab auditorium on Piver's Island in Beaufort. The meeting is open to all interested parties; however, public comment will not be taken.

The 10-member stakeholder committee was recently appointed by the Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) to identify issues and make recommendations regarding the contentious issue of leasing portions of Core Sound to state residents oyster and clam cultivation. Leasing portions of the water bottom to grow and cultivate shellfish in North Carolina dates back to the mid-1800s, when the first state laws were passed to allow this practice.

Traditionally, leaseholders culture shellfish by a variety of means, including relaying existing shellfish from other areas, planting materials to attract shellfish larvae and/or distributing seed (juvenile) stock. Leaseholders are required to market a certain amount of shellfish on an annual basis. Granting exclusive shellfish rights has been controversial because many people feel these leases infringe on their right to access pubic trust resources.

The North Carolina General Assembly instituted a moratorium on shellfish leases in western Core Sound in 1996 and commissioned a human use mapping study of the area to evaluate concerns of commercial and recreational fishermen and potential leaseholders. The MFC has been charged with presenting the state legislature with a plan for managing the lease controversy in Core Sound. The current moratorium expires October 2002.

During development of the Oyster and Clam Fishery Management Plans the lease situation was discussed. Plan developers, however, thought it best to handle the local issue separately from the state-wide shellfish plans.

Carteret County residents Bill Cox, Donna Minelli, Bob Austin, Mark Hooper, John Hudnall, Paul Dunn, Johnnie Gray, Irving Hooper, Glenwood Montgomery and newly appointed MFC member Bradley Styron, were appointed to serve on the panel by MFC Chairman Jimmy Johnson. Members were selected based on their experience with various fisheries and activities in Core Sound and are expected to solicit input from the different user groups.

The stakeholder committee has two months to complete their report to the MFC, which in turn is expected to present recommendations to the Joint Legislative Study Commission on Seafood and Aquaculture in March 2002.

For more information about this meeting, please contact Mike Marshall, Division of Marine Fisheries, by e-mail at mike.marshall@ncmail.net or by phone at 252-726-7021 or 1-800-682-2632.