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March 3, 2004

COASTAL CLEANUP NETS THOUSANDS OF CRAB POTS

MOREHEAD CITY - North Carolina Marine Patrol officers have removed over 8,000 abandoned or illegally set crab pots from state waters.

Each year, from January 24 - February 7, Tar Heel fishermen are required to pull their estimated 1.3 million crab pots out of the water. During this time, state Marine Patrol officers remove any abandoned or illegally set pots.

The most recent 15-day cleanup period resulted in a total of 8,343 pots pulled from coastal waters. Marine Patrol officers removed 7,703 pots and directed owners to remove an additional 640 pots. Nearly all retrieved pots were destroyed and taken to land fills. Forty-five charges were filed in connection with the illegal pots.

In 2002, commercial fishermen brought in 36.4 million pounds of blue crabs, valued at $29 million - the most valuable fishery in the state. That same year, 91,993 commercial fishing trips using crab pots were reported.

During March, the Marine Fisheries Commission is holding a series of public meetings to discuss recommendations to update the Blue Crab Fishery Management Plan. One proposal being considered is a nine-day extension of the crab pot cleanup period. Other recommendations include statewide and regional crab pot limits, a new crab pot permit, a tagging system for crab pots, size limit changes for mature females, and reducing crab trawl bycatch. (visit http://www.ncdmf.net/news/NR2K4/NR-09-04.htm for meeting dates)

For more information on Marine Patrol, contact Col. Joe Lynch by e-mail at joe.lynch@ncmail.net or by calling 800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021. For information about the blue crab meetings, contact Jess Hawkins, Division of Marine Fisheries, by e-mail at jess.hawkins@ncmail.net or by calling 800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021.

February 28, 2004

NEW CRAB REGULATIONS TO BE CONSIDERED

MOREHEAD CITY - The public will have the opportunity to learn more about proposed revisions to North Carolina's crab fishery at a series of public meetings planned for March.

In the first update of the Blue Crab Fishery Management Plan since its adoption by the state Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) in 1998, numerous recommendations are being considered, including statewide and regional crab pot limits, a new crab pot permit, a tagging system for crab pots, size limit changes for mature females, and reducing crab trawl bycatch.

The recommendations will be reviewed by the MFC regional advisory committees, as well as a series of public meetings at the following locations:

March 1 - 7 p.m.
MFC Northeast Advisory Committee Meeting
Swain Auditorium
107 Court Street
Edenton, NC

March 4 - 6 p.m.
MFC Southeast Advisory Committee Meeting
Wilmington Regional Office
127 Cardinal Drive
Wilmington

March 8 - 6 p.m.
MFC Inland Advisory Committee Meeting
Department of Environment & Natural Resources
Archdale Building - 512 Salisbury Street
Ground Floor Hearing Room
Raleigh

March 9 - 6 p.m.
MFC Central Advisory Committee Meeting
Washington Regional Office
943 Washington Square Mall
Washington

March 15 - 6 p.m.
Duke Marine Lab - Pivers Island
135 Duke Marine Lab Road
Beaufort

March 18 - 6 p.m.
Wilmington Regional Office
127 Cardinal Drive
Wilmington

March 22 - 6 p.m.
Pamlico County Courthouse
202 Main Street
Bayboro

March 25 - 6 p.m.
Swan Quarter Volunteer Fire Department
20 Oyster Creek Road
Swan Quarter

March 29 - 6 p.m.
College of the Albemarle
1208 North Road Street
Elizabeth City

March 30 - 6 p.m.
N. C. Aquarium at Roanoke Island
374 Airport Road
Manteo

For additional information, please contact Jess Hawkins, Division of Marine Fisheries, by e-mail at Jess.Hawkins@ncmail.net or by calling 800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021.

February 20, 2004

MARINE FISHERIES OFFICE MOVES BACK TO WANCHESE

MOREHEAD CITY - Who says you can't go home again?

Staff from the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) are excited to be moving back to their old digs at 604 Harbor Drive in the Industrial Seafood Park in Wanchese. The office will be open for business Wednesday, February 25.

During a recent building renovation, DMF temporarily relocated to office space in Manteo. The Wanchese office houses 12 staffers that sell fishing licenses, compile harvest statistics, conduct fisheries field work, and do shellfish rehabilitation.

For more information, contact Beth Burns, DMF-Wanchese, by e-mail at beth.burns@ncmail.net or by calling 252-473-1512.