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MARINE FISHERIES COMMISISON TO MEET NOVEMBER 15, 2004

Morehead City- The Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) will meet November 15, 2004 at the Crystal Coast Civic Center, Morehead City, NC. The meeting will be held in Rooms 1, 2 and 3 upstairs and will begin at 1:00 p.m. The meeting is open to the public.

MFC Chairman Jimmy Johnson has called the meeting to allow reconsideration of the management measures selected by the Commission at their October meeting regarding the Draft North Carolina Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan. The Division of Marine Fisheries has evaluated whether the selected measures meet the requirements of the Fisheries Reform Act and will present those results. The Commission will discuss whether to amend or rescind their previously chosen measures.

North Carolina develops fishery management plans for all commercially or recreationally significant species that occur in state waters. The plans specify what measures are needed to conserve North Carolina's fishery resources. This is the first fishery management plan prepared for southern flounder in North Carolina. Development of the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan began in the year 2000. A 15 member advisory committee composed of recreational and commercial fisherman and scientists, helped with the preparation of the plan. In addition numerous public meetings were held to discuss the Draft Fishery Management Plan.

Southern flounder is North Carolina's most economically valuable finfish species, averaging approximately 4,000,000 lbs. annually and with an ex-vessel value up to $7,000,000 annually. The species is also a popular recreational fish. Southern flounder primarily inhabit brackish waters in North Carolina, but also occur in the ocean in the southern portion of our state.

The draft plan will be submitted to the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for review by the General Assembly. The plan then returns to the Commission for final adoption.

The MFC will also receive an update on the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan (CHPP).

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.

Marine Fisheries Commission Selects Options for Draft Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan

MOREHEAD CITY - After a lengthy development and review process the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission selected their preferred management options for the Draft North Carolina Fishery Management Plan. The Commission took the following actions at their business meeting that was held October 11-13, in Kill Devil Hills.

The Commission selected the following measures concerning conservation of the Southern Flounder:

1. A closed recreational and commercial fishing season from December 1 - March 31;
2. A 14 inch size limit, eight fish harvest limit for recreational fisherman;
3. A 13 inch size limit for commercial fisherman;
4. Persons using gigs recreationally must have a Recreational Commercial Gear License or other appropriate license;
5. Persons using large mesh gill nets (greater than or equal to 5 ½ inches stretched mesh) recreationally must attend their nets at all times;
6. Gill nets used to catch flounder must have a 5 ½ stretched mesh minimum size
7. Flounder pound nets must have an escape panel 5 ¾ inches or greater to let small flounder escape;
8. Commercial fisherman cannot use more than 3000 yards of flounder gillnet;
9. Minimum distance of 1000 yards between old and new pound nets and a minimum distance of 500 yards between pound nets and gill nets in Albemarle Sound from August 15th - December 1st;
10. Minimum crab trawl tailbag mesh size of three inches in eastern Pamlico Sound and four inches in western Pamlico Sound;
11. Numerous research and habitat / water quality recommendations to address Southern Flounder.

The Commission also voted to re-examine the status of Southern Flounder in three years rather than wait five years, which is allowed by law.

North Carolina develops fishery management plans for all commercially or recreationally significant species that occur in state waters. The plans specify what measures are needed to conserve North Carolina's fishery resources. This is the first fishery management plan prepared for Southern Flounder in North Carolina. Development of the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan began in the year 2000. A 15 member advisory committee composed of recreational and commercial fisherman and scientist, helped with the preparation of the plan. In addition numerous public meetings were held to discuss the Draft Fishery Management Plan.

Marine Fisheries Commission Chairman, Jimmy Johnson stated, "The Commission truly appreciates the time spent by volunteer advisors and Division Staff to prepare this fishery management plan. A tremendous amount of work was devoted over the years to bring together what is known about Southern Flounder and propose conservation measures."

Southern Flounder is North Carolina's most economically valuable finfish species, averaging approximately 4,000,000 lbs annually and with an ex-vessel value up to $7,000,000 annually. The species is also a popular recreational fish. Southern Flounder primarily inhabit brackish waters in North Carolina, but also occur in the ocean in the southern portion of our state.

The draft plan will be submitted to the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for review by the General Assembly.

For further information, contact Jess Hawkins at 252-726-7021 or Jess.Hawkins@ncmail.net.

MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION SEEKS ADVISORS CONCERNING DOGFISH FISHERY

MOREHEAD CITY - The Chairman of the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission, Jimmy Johnson, announces that the Commission is looking for interested individuals to serve as advisors on a committee dealing with the North Carolina spiny dogfish shark fishery. The committee, called the Dogfish Compliance Advisory Panel, will review whether North Carolina should challenge the management measures of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council/ New England Fishery Management Council Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plans. The Panel's advice will be forwarded to the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission for consideration.

The Compliance Advisory Panel will be composed of persons from the commercial, recreational, and scientific communities that have an interest or experience with the dogfish fishery in North Carolina.

In 1998, the National Marine Fisheries Service designated spiny dogfish stocks in the western Atlantic Ocean as overfished. The Councils developed a joint fisheries management plan for spiny dogfish in waters in 2000 and the ASMFC developed a fisheries management plan for spiny dogfish in state waters in 2002.

Spiny dogfish supported one of North Carolina's largest fisheries during the 1990's, landing nearly 5,000,000 pounds annually and reaching 13,000,000 pounds in 1996. Management measures adopted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and federal management councils reduced landings in North Carolina to less than 600,000 pounds annually since 2001.

Advisor applications are available at Division of Marine Fisheries' office or by calling 252-726-7021 or 1-800-682-2632. Applications should be returned by October 31, 2004 to the Division of Marine Fisheries, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, North Carolina 28557; Attention: Jess Hawkins.

For further information please contact Jess Hawkins by e-mail at Jess.Hawkins@ncmail.net or by calling the phone numbers listed above.