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Contact: Patricia Smith STATE APPROVES CHOWAN RIVER BRIDGE DESIGN, FISHING GUIDE MOREHEAD CITY – The first money spent from Coastal Recreational Fishing License sales will go toward a public fishing access project and a marine resources education project. The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission have agreed to spend $200,000 from the N.C. Marine Resources Trust Fund for an engineering design for a proposed Chowan River fishing pier at the old bridge site on U.S. 17 near Edenton. Also, the two commissions approved $100,000 for a new saltwater angler’s field guide. “I am very pleased with the close working relationship we have developed with the Wildlife Resources Commission, and I’m excited that we can fund these projects that are of such interest to both agencies,” said Louis B. Daniel III, director of the Division of Marine Fisheries. The Wildlife Resources Commission and the Division of Marine Fisheries are working jointly with Chowan County and the Town of Edenton to improve an existing boat ramp at the Chowan River Bridge and turn the old highway bridge into a fishing pier with bathrooms and possibly a pier house. “The development of an accessible fishing pier and renovation of the boating access area at the Chowan River site are critical to providing access to quality fishing in the Chowan River,” said Bob Curry, chief of the Wildlife Resources Commission’s Division of Inland Fisheries. “This project demonstrates how state resource agencies can work together with local governments to improve recreational opportunities for all anglers.” “We are excited about the opportunity to work with the Division of Marine Fisheries to improve angler access,” Curry said. The Division of Marine Fisheries is also putting together a full-color pocket field guide that will be available free of charge to fishermen. The guide will include summaries of the state’s saltwater fishing programs, descriptions of the most popular recreational fish and the habitats in which they live, and information on how we need to have healthy fish habitats to have healthy fish populations. Fishing access and public education is one of three program areas the Wildlife Resources Commission and the Marine Fisheries Commission have adopted as priorities for license funding. The other two areas are fisheries research and habitat enhancement.
Contact: Patricia Smith MOREHEAD CITY – Recreational fishermen heading to North Carolina beaches this Memorial Day weekend need to make sure they pick up or download an updated copy of the N.C. Recreational Coastal Waters Guide for Sports Fishermen. This two-page document gives the most recent size and possession limits for saltwater recreational fishing in the state, and there have been a few changes since last summer. Most notably, the recreational size limit for ocean-caught flounder increased in February from 14 inches to 14 ½ inches. The bag limit remains at eight fish per person per day. The size limit for flounder caught in the rivers and sounds remains at 14 inches with an eight fish per person per day bag limit. Also, regulations on black sea bass caught south of Cape Hatteras changed in October. The size limit increased from 10-inches to 11-inches and the bag limit decreased from 20 fish to 15 fish per person per day. As of June 1, the size limit increases to 12 inches south of Cape Hatteras. Some other recent changes to recreational size and bag limits include a 200-fish bag limit on striped mullet and a 48-quart cooler possession limit on shrimp caught recreationally with a trawl net. Updated recreational size and bag limits for saltwater fishing can be found at tackle shops, at N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries offices or on the agency’s Web site at http://www.ncfisheries.net/.
Contact: Patricia Smith MOREHEAD CITY – State authorities are asking coastal businesses to help spread the word about the new Coastal Recreational Fishing License. In anticipation of increased demand prior to and during Memorial Day weekend, the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries mailed a letter Tuesday to about 700 businesses and related entities, such as hotels, campgrounds, chambers of commerce, tourist centers, marinas and tackle shops. The letter informed merchants of different ways their patrons can purchase the license. “We have no way of knowing just how many licenses the state will sell, but we want people to know they have options,” said Dee Lupton, DMF Licensing and Statistics section chief. Fishermen can purchase a Coastal Recreational Fishing License 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission Web site at www.ncwildlife.org. Another option available to the public is to buy licenses from wildlife service agents. Many tackle shops, and other stores that sell sporting goods sell hunting and fishing licenses. A list of service agents by county can be found on the WRC Web site. Additionally, the six DMF regional offices sell licenses from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. The offices are located in Morehead City at 3441 Arendell St.; in Elizabeth City at 1367 U.S. 17 South; in Columbia at 1107 Highway 64 East; in Wanchese at 604 Harbor Road; in Washington at 943 Washington Square Mall; and in Wilmington at 127 Cardinal Dr. Available license types include annual resident ($15), annual non-resident ($30), resident 10-day ($5); non-resident 10-day ($10); resident 65 or older lifetime ($15). The state has sold more than 125,000 Coastal Recreational Fishing Licenses, including blanket licenses, since sales began Jan. 1. The majority of those have been annual resident licenses. For more information, contact Janice Fulcher, license unit supervisor, at (252) 726-7021. |