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August 19, 2002

NCDMF LAUNCHES NEW ECONOMIC-IMPACT SURVEY

MOREHEAD CITY - Commercial fishermen are urged to participate in the new economic-impact study being conducted by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF).

The study is designed to gather social and economic information that will help in making fisheries management decisions. Because federal and state law requires that this information be considered when making fisheries management decisions, the results are especially important to fishermen, their families, and their communities. If information is unavailable or incomplete, decisions will be made without economic considerations.

As part of this study, funded by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, DMF researchers are sending letters to commercial fishermen who landed at least $1,000 worth of seafood from coastal inland waters beginning at the Newport River and continuing south to the South Carolina state line. The letters explain that researchers will be contacting them to request an interview, either by phone or in person.

This study will complete the socioeconomic data for all coastal inland fisheries. During the past three years, DMF has conducted similar studies covering the Albemarle, Pamlico and Core Sound areas. In the most recent study covering Core Sound, over 80 percent of the fishermen who were contacted participated in the survey.

"The high level of participation in the Core Sound survey shows that fishermen are very interested in making sure their voices are heard," said Dr. Brian Cheuvront, social economics program manager at NCDMF. "We need to hear from fishermen about the larger economic realities of what it means to work in the commercial fishing industry.

"We also want the fishermen to know that protecting privacy is very important in a project like this. We want them to feel comfortable speaking honestly about issues that are important to them."

For more information on this survey, please contact Dr. Brian Cheuvront by e-mail at brian.cheuvront@ncmail.net or by calling 1-800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021.

STATE ANNOUNCES GILL NET RESTRICTIONS IN PAMLICO SOUND
Measures Taken to Protect Sea Turtles

MOREHEAD CITY - Large mesh gill nets will be prohibited in a significant portion of Pamlico Sound again this year from September 1 - December 15, in order to continue protecting endangered and threatened sea turtles during their fall migration.

According to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) Director Pres Pate, this year's restrictions mirror those instituted in 2001 because those management measures proved successful in avoiding turtle deaths and interactions.

"Last year, only one turtle was found dead in a fishing net in the Pamlico Sound Gill Net Restricted Area during the fall flounder season, compared to seven turtles in 2000," said Pate. "The decline in deaths was due, in large part, to the research conducted in the last few years, to learn more about turtle migration routes and habits."

One difference from last year's restrictions is the closure will go into effect two weeks earlier because of the large number of turtles reported in Pamlico Sound.

Limited usage of large and small mesh gill nets will be allowed in shallow portions of the Pamlico Sound, along Hatteras and Ocracoke islands and the Hyde County mainland. This area will be heavily monitored on a daily basis by Marine Patrol and fisheries researchers to ensure turtles are protected. Visit the DMF Web site at http://www.ncdmf.net/procs/procs2k2/M-10-2002.htm for specific details of the closure.

The DMF has worked closely with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the federal agency with jurisdiction over sea turtles, to find ways to protect the turtles by limiting interactions with fishing gear during the fall flounder season. NMFS is expected to close the majority of deep-water areas of the Pamlico Sound to large mesh gill nets in conjunction with the state closure.

If these measures do not adequately protect the turtles, further restrictions will be implemented.

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

August 15, 2002

DOLPHIN TAGS YIELD RICH REWARDS

MOREHEAD CITY - Two Dare county men have reason to smile - they both happened to find dolphin tags worth $250 apiece.

Robert Constantineau, from Nags Head, found his tag when he hauled in a 22-inch dolphin fishing out of Oregon Inlet.

Mike Jacob, of Waves, was perhaps even luckier, finding his tag while cleaning a 19-inch dolphin at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center.

The tags are part of a NC Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) research project to gather information on dolphin migrations along the southeastern United States. Since July, 261 dolphins have been tagged and released off the Tar Heel coast by DMF researchers. Ten of those fish have already been recaptured, giving scientists valuable information about the movements and migration patterns of dolphin.

Many of the dolphins were tagged offshore from Cape Lookout, in the vicinity of the "Big Rock" and recaptured off of Cape Hatteras, in an area called the "Rock Pile." So far, all recovered fish have moved northeast along the coast; none have yet to be recovered above Oregon Inlet.

Funding for this initiative was obtained through the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's Sportfish Restoration Program.

For more information on the dolphin tagging in North Carolina, please contact John Carmichael or Randy Gregory at 252-726-7021 or 1-800-682-2632. Visit the DMF Web site at http://www.ncdmf.net/recreational/taginfo.html to learn more about the program.

August 14, 2002

RED DRUM INFORMATION NEEDED

MOREHEAD CITY - Attention anglers, fisheries managers need your help! Information is needed on the types of tackle, catch rate, effort, and areas fished by recreational anglers who fish for adult red drum in North Carolina.

While fishermen are only allowed to keep one red drum per day, catch and release of the feisty fish is gaining popularity in Tar Heel waters. The pastime is growing to the extent that guide services now specialize in targeting adult red drum for catch and release and there have been significant increases in catch and release activity from private boats in areas along western Pamlico Sound.

The question now is what impact does the increasing catch and release fishery have on red drum stocks? The Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) and North Carolina Sea Grant are conducting a survey to determine the mortality rate associated with the catch and release of adult red drum. The questionnaire can be downloaded from the DMF Web site at http://www.ncdmf.net/download/index.html.

Red drum anglers are encouraged to participate in this important study - better information means better management of our fisheries.

For more details, please contact Lee Paramore, DMF-Wanchese, by e-mail at lee.paramore@ncmail.net or by calling 252-473-1512; or Jim Bahen, NC Sea Grant, by e-mail at bahenj@unewil.edu or by calling 910-962-2492.

SCALLOP SEASON TO OPEN EARLY
IN PORTIONS OF CARTERET COUNTY

MOREHEAD CITY - The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) will be opening bay scallop season on Monday, August 19, in North River and Back Sound.

Bay scallop season is traditionally opened for a few weeks in December and then later in the winter, after scallops have spawned and the meats are at a premium. In recent years, watermen have reported large schools of cow-nosed rays decimating scallops in coastal waters, leaving fishermen with little or no catch in the winter. The University of North Carolina's Institute of Marine Science (IMS) has documented this occurrence along Oscar Shoals, located near Harker's Island.

The DMF is working in conjunction with IMS to establish additional research areas to monitor scallop populations before and after the ray migration to further gauge the predator's impact. Study sites include the opened scalloping areas, as well as other closed areas in Core and Bogue sounds. Fishermen are requested to avoid harvesting scallops in the marked research areas.

Bay scallops have not yet spawned, but researchers feel this limited opening would have little impact on the overall population. Back Sound is thought to be a population sink - an area that imports more scallops than it produces due to currents and tidal flows. The DMF is not opening scallop season early in all coastal waters to allow the majority of scallops to spawn.

For more information on bay scallops, please contact Trish Murphey by e-mail at Trish.Murphey@ncmail.net or by calling 1-800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021.

MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION TO MEET AUGUST 20-21

MOREHEAD CITY -- The Marine Fisheries Commission will hold a business meeting August 20-21 at the Pitt County Agricultural Center in Greenville.

The meeting is open to the public.

A public meeting will also be held at 7 p.m. on August 19, at the same location, for anyone wanting to talk with the commission regarding fisheries issues.

For more information, contact Jess Hawkins by e-mail at Jess.Hawkins@ncmail.net or by calling 1-800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021.

Click on http://www.ncdmf.net/mfc/advisor.html to review meeting summaries of past commission meetings.

Meeting Agenda