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Atlantic Coast States Schedule Hearings on River Herring PID States and jurisdictions from Maine through South Carolina have scheduled their hearings to gather public comment on the Public Information Document (PID) for Amendment 2 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Shad and River Herring. The dates, times and locations of the scheduled meetings follow: Maine Department of Marine Resources January 2, 2008; 6:30 PM Ellsworth City Hall 1 City Plaza Ellsworth, Maine Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207/624-6562 January 3, 2008; 6:00 PM University of Maine Machias Science Building Route 1 Machias, Maine Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207/624-6562 January 10, 2008; 6:00 PM Lincoln County Communications Center Route 1 Wiscasset, Maine Contact: Terry Stockwell at 207/624-6562 New Hampshire Fish and Game January 2, 2008; 7:00 PM Urban Forestry Center 45 Elwyn Road Portsmouth, New Hampshire Contact: Cheri Patterson at 603/868-1095 Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries January 8, 2008; 6:30 PM Plymouth Harbor Radisson 180 Water Street Plymouth, Massachusetts Contact: Shannon Davis at 617/626-1621 Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife December 17, 2007; 6:00 PM URI Narragansett Bay Campus Corless Auditorium South Ferry Road Narragansett, Rhode Island Contact: Phil Edwards at 401/789-7481 Connecticut Dept. of Environmental Protection December 11, 2007; 7:00 PM DEP Marine Headquarters Boating Education Center 333 Ferry Road Old Lyme, Connecticut Contact: Eric Smith at 860/434-6043 New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation January 7, 2008; 7:00 PM 21 South Putt Corners Road New Paltz, New York Contact: Andy Kahnle at 845/256-3072 New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife December 11, 2007; 7:00 PM Ocean County Administrative Building 101 Hooper Avenue Public Hearing Room #119 Toms River, New Jersey Contact: Tom McCloy at 609/292-7794 Delaware Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Control December 18, 2007; 7:00 PM Richardson and Robbins Building Auditorium 89 Kings Highway Dover, Delaware Contact: Craig Shirey at 302/739-9914 Virginia Marine Resources Commission December 17, 2007; 6:00 PM 2600 Washington Ave, 4th floor Newport News, Virginia Contact: Jack Travelstead at 757/247-2247 North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries December 19, 2007; 7:00 PM CMAST 303 College Circle Morehead City, North Carolina Contact: Louis Daniel252/726-7021 Potomac River Fisheries Commission December 20, 2007; 6:00 PM John Thomas Parran Hearing Room PRFC Building 222 Taylor Street Colonial Beach, Virginia Contact: AC Carpenter at 804/224-7148 South Carolina Dept. of Natural Resources December 13, 2007; 7:00 PM Santee-Cooper Auditorium 1 Riverwood Drive Monks Corner, South Carolina Contact: Bill Post at 843/953-9821 The PID and subsequent amendment are being developed in response to concerns regarding the status of river herring stocks. While many populations of blueback herring and alewife, collectively known as river herring, are in decline or remain depressed at stable levels, lack of fishery-dependent and independent data makes it difficult to ascertain the status of river herring stocks coastwide. Between 1985 and 2004, commercial landings of river herring dropped by 90% from 13.6 to 1.33 million pounds. In 2006, Commission member states reported river herring landings of approximately 1.4 million pounds. In response to declining stocks within their own waters, four states—Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and North Carolina—have closed their river herring fisheries. River herring stocks are a multi-jurisdictional resource occurring in both rivers and coastal waters. The PID has been developed to address these concerns by seeking public comment on whether the management program is adequate to ensure survival and enhancement of depressed stocks or the maintenance of presently stable stocks. Following the initial phase of information-gathering and public comment, the Commission will evaluate potential management alternatives and develop a draft amendment for public review. Following that review and public comment, the Commission will specify the management measures to be included in the final amendment. A tentative schedule for the completion of the Amendment 2 is included in PID. Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the PID, either through attending public hearings or providing written comments. Copies can be obtained by contacting the Commission at (202) 289-6400 or via the Commission’s website at www.asmfc.org under Breaking News. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM on January 28, 2007 and should be forwarded to Erika Robbins, Fisheries Management Plan, 1444 ‘Eye’ Street, NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005; (202) 289-6051 (FAX) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: River Herring). For more information, please contact Erika Robbins at (202) 289-6400. Tina Berger Public Affairs Specialist Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission 1444 I Street. NW, Sixth Floor Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202)289-6400 FAX: (202)289-6051 Email: tberger@asmfc.org www.asmfc.org Contact: Patricia Smith JIM KELLEY TO HEAD MARINE PATROL’S SOUTHERN DISTRICT MOREHEAD CITY – Jim Kelley was recently promoted to captain of N.C. Marine Patrol District 3, which encompasses the southern coastal area of the state. Kelley received his captain pins Nov. 8, moving into the position formerly held by Rex Lanier, who was promoted to Marine Patrol colonel in June.
“He’s rock solid,” Lanier said. “His knowledge of fisheries rules, his experience and dedication to the job made him a perfect candidate.” Kelley began his career with Marine Patrol April 1, 1989, as a patrol officer in Belhaven. He was promoted to sergeant in November 1999 and transferred to District 1 in the Outer Banks area. He obtained the rank of lieutenant in August 2003, and a few months later transferred to District 3. Marine Patrol District 3 encompasses coastal and joint waters from the N.C. 58 bridge in Emerald Isle to the South Carolina state line. Kelley, a former commercial fisherman, said that he has always enjoyed working on the water, and being a Marine Patrol officer is no exception. “The job is just a fantastic job,” Kelley said. Kelley is originally from the Bettie community of Carteret County. He now lives in Leland with his wife, Bonnie, daughter, Kandice, and stepson, Jason Wheeler. Kelley can be reached for comment at (910) 796-7215 or (800) 248-4536. Click on the photo above to download a high resolution version. Contact: Patricia Smith STATE EXTENDS COMMERCIAL FLOUNDER SEASON MOREHEAD CITY – Commercial flounder fishermen will get 14 extra days to make up for below average harvests this fall. At the request of the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission, Fisheries Director Louis Daniel issued a proclamation Tuesday extending the commercial Southern flounder season to Dec. 14 at 6 p.m. this year. The Southern flounder season normally closes after Nov. 30, under state management measures adopted in 2005. The MFC made the request after several commercial fishermen asked for the extension at last week’s MFC meeting in Ocracoke. The fishermen reasoned that extenuating circumstances resulted in poor landings in October. For one, water temperatures were unseasonably warm, causing the fish to stay in the upper estuaries and rivers later than normal, the fishermen said. Two, an unusual amount of animal grass (Sauerkraut bryozoan) moved from offshore into inshore waters, clogging fishermen’s nets from Core Sound through the Outer Banks and hindering fishing. Fishermen added that last week's closure of the Pamlico Sound Gill Net Restricted Area, which came due to sea turtle interactions, will likely reduce landings further. The season extension pertains to all North Carolina internal coastal waters; however, the Pamlico Sound Gill Net Restricted Area will remain closed to large-mesh gill nets until Dec. 15. For more information, contact Chris Batsavage by phone at (252) 726-7021 or (800) 682-2632 or by e-mail at chris.batsavage@ncmail.net.
Contact: Patricia Smith FLOUNDER SEASON CLOSES TO PROTECT SEA TURTLES The number of green sea turtles caught in flounder nets this season is nearing the maximum number allowed by a special permit from the National Marine Fisheries Service. Biologists anticipate that number will exceed the threshold by the end of the week. North Carolina manages the large-mesh gill net fishery in Pamlico Sound under a federal permit authorized by Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act, which went into effect after numerous sea turtle strandings in Pamlico Sound in 1999 and 2000. Investigations identified the deep-water, large-mesh gill net fishery for southern flounder as the primary source for the sea turtle interactions and subsequent mortalities. The permit authorizes a limited shallow water fishery along the Outer Banks and mainland side of Pamlico Sound and mandates observer coverage and weekly reporting. The permit also requires a season closure when the number of sea turtle captures reaches pre-set thresholds established by NMFS. So far this season, observers have documented large-mesh gill net interactions with 13 live and five dead green turtles. Scientists used the documented interactions to estimate there have been 119 live takes and 30 lethal takes of green sea turtles. The Section 10 Permit requires closure of the fishery when the estimated takes reach 120 live or 48 dead green sea turtles. Observers also documented a gill net interaction with one live loggerhead sea turtle, but the takes of loggerheads is not nearing the permit threshold for that species. The closure starts at 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15 and will prohibit the use of gill nets with larger than 4 ¼-inch stretched mesh. It will remain in effect until Dec. 15, which for practical purposes is the rest of the 2007 Southern flounder season. The fall Southern flounder shallow water fishery will reopen September 1, 2008. The closure does not prohibit the use of small mesh gill nets (smaller than or equal to 4 ¼-inch stretched mesh), and observations of the small mesh fishery will continue. For more information on the flounder gill net closure, contact DMF Biologist Blake Price at (252) 726-7021 or at (800) 682-2632.
Contact: Patricia Smith MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION TO MEET NEXT WEEK MOREHEAD CITY – The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will hold its regular business meeting and public comment period Nov. 14-16 in Ocracoke. Agenda items include selection of preferred management options for the oyster, hard clam, kingfish and inter-jurisdictional fishery management plans. These plans will then be sent to the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources and to the Joint Legislative Commission on Seafood and Aquaculture for review. The schedule also calls for final approval of rules to implement a Bay Scallop Fishery Management Plan. The commission plans to continue its study of limited access privilege programs with a presentation sponsored by Environmental Defense. Additionally, Scott Crosson, DMF socioeconomics program manager, will release results of a survey of North Carolina commercial fishermen concerning their views on limited access privilege programs. The business meeting begins at 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 15 and 8:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 16 at the Community Center in Ocracoke. A public comment period will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14 at the same location. Meeting agenda is below ... MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION BUSINESS MEETING Executive Order One mandates the Chair inquire as to whether any member knows of any known conflict of interest or appearance of conflict with respect to matters before the commission. If any member knows of a conflict of interest or appearance of conflict, please so state at this time in accordance with N.C.G.S. 138A-15(e). November 14 November 15 * Times indicated are merely for guidance. The Commission will proceed through the agenda until completed. 2008 Meeting Schedule
WATERFRONT ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO MEET MOREHEAD CITY – A citizens advisory committee for the Waterfront Access and Marine Industry Fund will meet at 10 a.m. Thursday at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City. Agenda items include a review of the Waterfront Access Study Committee findings and the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries strategic plan for disbursement of the funds. The committee will also hear a presentation on the database of existing access points and begin review of potential projects for funding. The meeting is open to the public. However, no public comment period is scheduled. Executive Order One mandates the Chair inquire as to whether any member knows of any known conflict of interest or appearance of conflict with respect to matters before the committee. If any member knows of a conflict of interest or appearance of conflict, please so state at this time in accordance with N.C.G.S. 138A-15(e). 10:00 a.m. Neal Lewis Call to Order - Executive Order One 10:30 a.m. Louis Daniel What is the Waterfront Access Marine Industry Fund? 11:30 a.m. Gordon Myers Database of Existing Access Points 12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. Lunch Break (A box lunch will be provided for committee members and staff) 2:00 p.m. Patricia Smith Questions/Comments
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