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March 26, 2004

FISHERIES LICENSE OFFICES TO TEMPORARILY CLOSE MARCH 31

MOREHEAD CITY - The Division of Marine Fisheries license offices at 127 Cardinal Drive in Wilmington and at the Industrial Seafood Park in Wanchese will be temporarily closed on Wednesday, March 31 so staff may attend a training workshop in Morehead City.

Fisheries license offices will remain open in Morehead City, Washington, Columbia and Elizabeth City.

March 23, 2004

SIZE LIMIT DROPS FOR OCEAN-CAUGHT FLOUNDER

MOREHEAD CITY - Good news on the flounder front for anglers - the recreational size limit for flounder caught in North Carolina's ocean waters will drop from 15 inches to 14 inches, beginning Monday, March 29. The bag limit will remain at eight fish per day.

"During the last two years we have been successful in proactively tailoring our management measures to slow the recreational harvest of summer flounder, as required in the intrastate management plan, while providing reasonable fishing opportunity for our anglers which let them take advantage of smaller fish off our coast," said state Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) Director Pres Pate. "That is why we are now able to lower the size limit."

"We estimate we only landed 49,000 summer flounder last year, well below the 2003 harvest target of 231,000 fish," said Pate. "By comparison, anglers harvested 189,480 summer flounder in 2002 and 327,249 summer flounder in 2001 from N.C. waters."

Hurricane Isabel is also thought to have played a role in the drop in recreational summer flounder landings. Damage to infrastructure such as roads, piers and marinas, and shoaling of inlets, especially in the Dare County area, prevented access to many flounder fishermen in the fall of 2003.

Flounder, one of the most popular fish for both recreational and commercial fishermen, as well as consumers, presents a management dilemma for the DMF.

"We have two major species of flounder that co-exist in Tar Heel waters - summer and southern flounder - and each have their own management strategies," said Pate. "It is difficult to tell the two species apart, true identification can only be made by counting the gill rakers of the fish."

Summer flounder are found mainly in the state's ocean and in internal waters, especially around inlets. The National Marine Fisheries Service and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, in conjunction with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, share oversight of summer flounder because it is migratory and moves along the East Coast from N.C. to Maine and up into Canadian waters. In the mid-1990s, the coastwide stock of summer flounder was considered overfished and rebuilding measures were implemented. Today, the summer flounder stock is recovering; while harvest restrictions are not as severe, there are still catch limits in place.

Southern flounder are generally found in sounds and rivers and in the near shore ocean waters along the southern portion of the coast and is managed by the state Marine Fisheries Commission and the DMF. A fishery management plan is in the final stages of development for southern founder to help rebuild this overfished stock.

The new 14-inch size limit applies to all recreationally-harvested flounder taken from N.C.'s ocean waters by hook-and-line, gigs and gear used by Recreational Commercial Gear License holders.

The flounder size limit for all inside waters is also 14 inches, except the Neuse and Pamlico rivers and most of southwestern Pamlico Sound where the size limit is 13 inches.

For more detailed information on summer flounder management, contact Carter Watterson at 252-726-7021 or 1-800-682-2632 or Doug Mumford at 252-946-6481 or 800-338-7804.

March 23, 2004

FAMILY CITED FOR ILLEGAL FISH SALE

MOREHEAD CITY - Members of a New Hanover County family were caught illegally selling fish in an undercover sting operation.

On March 7, the North Carolina Marine Patrol charged Jerry Wayne Batson, 26, of 6027 Coon Hunter Trail, in Castle Hayne, with two counts of taking fish without a standard commercial fishing license and two counts of using a vessel in a commercial fishing operation without a standard commercial fishing vessel registration.

Mr. Batson possesses a recreational commercial gear license, which allows him to use limited amounts of commercial gear to harvest fish for his personal consumption, but he does not hold a license to take fish for commercial purposes. Both charges are Class A-1 misdemeanors.

In addition, Batson's grandmother, Bertha Byrd Denitson, 64, of 3331 Marathon Avenue, Castle Hayne, was charged with two counts of selling fish without a dealer's license - the license fishermen must have if they are going to sell seafood to the public. This is also a Class A-1 misdemeanor.

After receiving a complaint from the public last fall, the Marine Patrol launched an investigation. On two separate occasions, in November, and again in March, Denitson sold a total of 68 pounds of spot and one flounder to an undercover officer. She told the officer her grandson, Jerry Batson, caught the fish.

The fish were donated to the Second Chance Mission in Jacksonville. The court date is set for April 21 in New Hanover County.

The public is encouraged to call and report fisheries violations to the Marine Patrol at 800-682-2632.

March 12, 2004

BEN JACKSON NAMED MARINE PATROL OFFICER OF THE YEAR

MOREHEAD CITY - Ben Jackson has been named the North Carolina Wildlife Federation's 2003 Marine Patrol Officer of the Year. The award is given in recognition for overall outstanding conservation efforts and achievements in the state during the year.

Jackson, a 28-year Marine Patrol veteran, was recognized by his colleagues for outstanding work with the protection and conservation of our state's fisheries resources. He will be presented the award on Saturday, March 20, at the Governor's Conservation Achievement Awards Banquet in Research Triangle Park.

The mission of the Marine Patrol is to ensure sustainable marine and estuarine fisheries for the benefit of the people of North Carolina. Their jurisdiction includes all coastal waters and extends to 3 miles offshore. Officers monitor 2.5 million acres of water and over 4,000 miles of coastline.

Jackson, a Beaufort County native, began his career with Marine Patrol in 1976, as a field officer. Currently, his patrol area includes Pender and Onslow counties. Jackson is an Air Force veteran and graduated from Wayne Community College with an associate degree in fish and wildlife management.

"For almost 30 years, Officer Jackson has served the people of North Carolina by protecting one of our state's most valuable public trust resources - our fisheries," said Col. Joe Lynch, head of the Marine Patrol. "He has earned the respect and confidence of all who have worked with him."

Jackson resides in Hampstead, with his wife Joanna. He is a board member of the Pender East Rescue Squad and president of the Cape Fear Model Railroad Club.

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.

March 2, 2004

MARINE PATROL ANNOUNCES PROMOTIONS

MOREHEAD CITY - The North Carolina Marine Patrol, law enforcement branch of the state Division of Marine Fisheries, announces two new sergeants.

Chris Bennett, 45, has been promoted to sergeant in the Southern District, headquartered in Wilmington. Bennett has been with the Marine Patrol for 13 years, beginning as a field officer on the patrol vessel ROYAL SHOAL and then transferring to work the Newport River area, where he remained until this promotion. Selected by the North Carolina Wildlife Federation as the 2002 Marine Patrol Officer of the Year, Bennett has an Advanced Law Enforcement Certification through Criminal Justice Training & Standards, and is a field training officer for the Marine Patrol.

Jerry Forbes, 40, has been promoted to sergeant in Northern District, headquartered in Columbia. Forbes has been with Marine Patrol nine years, beginning as a field officer working in the area. Forbes has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Resource Management and an Advanced Law Enforcement Certification through Criminal Justice Training & Standards. He is also a field training officer for the Marine Patrol and was selected by the North Carolina Wildlife Federation as the 2001 Marine Patrol Officer of the Year.

The Marine Patrol has 59 sworn law enforcement officer positions along the coast and its jurisdiction includes all coastal waters extending to 3 miles offshore, and out to 200 miles offshore for some federally regulated species. Officers monitor 2.5 million acres of water and over 4,000 miles of coastline. Along with inspecting commercial and recreational boats, Marine Patrol officers also check seafood markets, fish dealers, restaurants, piers, beaches and vehicles carrying seafood.

For more information about the case, please contact Colonel Joe Lynch, N.C. Marine Patrol, by e-mail at joe.lynch@ncmail.net or by phone at 252-726-7021 or 800-682-2632.