FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 22, 2009
CONTACT: Kim Iverson
Public Information Officer
Toll Free 866/SAFMC-10 or 843/571-4366

Council to Hold Series of Public Hearing/Scoping Meetings
Issues include Deepwater Coral Protected Areas, setting Annual Catch Limits, allocations and more

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is holding a series of public hearings/scoping meetings to address a variety of issues affecting federal fisheries management. The meetings begin January 26, 2009 and continue through early February. Public hearings will be held to obtain input on the Council’s Fishery Ecosystem Plan, a multi-volume document to be used as a “source” document for the Council’s move toward an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management. Public hearings will also be held for management alternatives for protecting deepwater coral areas through Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 1. Actions proposed in the amendment include the designation of Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern to protect what is currently thought to be the largest contiguous distribution of deepwater ecosystems in the world - measuring more than 23,000 square miles. The amendment would also create allowable fishing areas for the deepwater shrimp and golden crab commercial fisheries. The Council is scheduled to take final action on the amendment during its March 2-6, 2009 meeting in Jekyll Island, Georgia.

The Council will also conduct public scoping on several issues. Scoping provides the public an opportunity to provide input prior to the Council taking any position on a management issue. Scoping items include:

· Comprehensive Annual Catch Limit Amendment to establish Annual Catch Limits and Accountability Measures for species currently not undergoing overfishing within the Council’s jurisdiction by 2011, as mandated by the Reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Act (includes snapper/grouper, mackerel, dolphin, wahoo, golden crab, and other species). The amendment also addresses allocations among recreational, commercial, and for-hire sectors, limits for total mortality (landings and discards), and spiny lobster issues.

· Snapper Grouper Amendment 18 to address options to limit participation in the commercial black sea bass and golden tilefish fisheries, extension of jurisdictional boundaries for the snapper grouper management unit northward, separation of the snowy grouper quota into regions/states, changes to the golden tilefish fishing year, regional/state management of the gag recreational allocation, modifications to the wreckfish fishery Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) program, and improvements in data collection.

· Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 2 currently to address the harvest of octocorals and Sargassum.
The meetings will be open from 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Several members of the Council’s staff will be on hand to answer questions and provide participants with information regarding the public hearing and scoping topics. Local Council representatives will take formal comments on both the public hearing topics and scoping meeting issues at any time between those hours. The Council is also accepting written and email comments on these issues until 5:00 p.m. on February 6, 2009. Copies of the public hearing and scoping documents with details on how to submit comments on each topic are available by contacting the Council office and are posted on the Council’s web site at www.safmc.net.

South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
Public Hearing/Scoping Meeting Dates and Locations

Monday, January 26, 2009
Hilton Garden Inn
5265 International Blvd.
N. Charleston, South Carolina 29418
Phone: 843/308-9330

Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Bridge Pointe Hotel
101 Howell Road
New Bern, North Carolina 28562
Phone: 252/636-3637

Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Key Largo Grande
97000 S. Overseas Highway
Key Largo, Florida 33037
Phone: 305/852-5553

Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Doubletree Hotel
2080 North Atlantic Avenue
Cocoa Beach, Florida 32931
Phone: 321/783-9222

Thursday, February 5, 2009
Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum
175 Bourne Avenue
Pooler, Georgia 31322
Phone: 912/748-8888

The next meeting of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is scheduled for March 2-6, 2009 in Jekyll Island, Georgia.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, one of eight regional councils, conserves and manages fish stocks from three to 200 miles offshore of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and east Florida.

Kim Iverson
Public Information Officer
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201
N. Charleston, SC 29405
843/571-4366 or Toll free 866/SAFMC-10
www.safmc.net

Contact: Kim Amendola
727-551-5707
Jan. 13,2009

NOAA Establishes Eight Marine Protected Areas to Provide Safe Havens for Deep-Water Fish

NOAA has established eight separate marine protected areas encompassing a total of 529 square nautical miles in south Atlantic federal waters to shield deep-water fish species and their habitats from fishing.

All fishing for snappers, groupers, tilefishes, grunts, porgies, and sea basses is prohibited throughout the protected areas, which are located off the coast from North Carolina south to Florida.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council proposed the action to NOAA’s Fisheries Service as part of a larger management plan to protect these South Atlantic fish populations.

"I applaud the hard work of the council and the strong spirit of cooperative conservation among commercial and recreational fisherman to take decisive action to conserve habitat in order to sustain healthy fisheries for generations to come," said James L. Connaughton, chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

“Marine protected areas are designed to provide long-term protection for our nation’s natural resources,” said Jim Balsiger, acting NOAA assistant administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service. “These areas of the South Atlantic were chosen because they feature known spawning grounds and nursery habitats for deep-water fish – especially for snappers and groupers.”

The marine protected areas are critical to the survival of over 70 species of deep-water fish susceptible to fishing pressure. These fish are not good candidates for catch-and-release fishing because they suffer trauma when captured and reeled up from great depths.

In addition, some species, such as snowy grouper, can live longer than 50 years and are the most productive spawners. It is important to protect the larger fish so they can spawn to their maximum potential, and equally important to protect the younger fish so they reach maturity.

The new protected areas range in size from 21 to 150 square nautical miles. There is one area off North Carolina, three off South Carolina, one off Georgia, and three protected areas off Florida.

Commercial shark bottom longline gear is also prohibited in these areas because the deep-water fish species are likely to be caught incidentally with this gear. All other types of legal fishing, such as trolling for tunas and marlins, are allowed because those gear types are not likely to incidentally catch the species warranting protection.

NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources. Visit http://www.noaa.gov.

Southeast Fishery Bulletin (PDF)

Amendment 14 (PDF)

Kim Iverson
Public Information Officer
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201
N. Charleston, SC 29405
843/571-4366 or Toll free 866/SAFMC-10
www.safmc.net

Contact: Patricia Smith
Date: Jan. 9, 2009
Phone: (252) 726-7021

FISHING REEF/OYSTER SANCTUARY TO BE PLACED NEAR ENGELHARD

MOREHEAD CITY – The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is seeking public input on where to place a proposed 30-acre coastal fishing reef/oyster sanctuary near Engelhard.

DMF’s Oyster Sanctuary program has determined three possible sites lying between the northern shore of Long Shoal River and Wysocking Bay near a current cultch planting site, said Craig Hardy, chief of DMF’s Resource Enhancement Section.

“We feel like they’re suitable for oyster recruitment, survival, all the criteria for an oyster sanctuary,” Hardy said. “We also feel they’re suitable because there is good recreational fishing access from Engelhard.”

DMF wants to hear from fishermen and others regarding they types of activities that occur in these areas. Shellfishing, gill netting and the use of bottom-disturbing gear, such as oyster dredges and shrimp trawls, will be prohibited in the sanctuary. However, hook-and-line fishing will be allowed, and the placement of suitable habitat for oysters will in turn attract several species of finfish, which may be caught.

Maps of the proposed sites can be downloaded from the DMF Web site at http://www.ncdmf.net/news/releases/2009/jan2009.html.

DMF plans to build the reef/sanctuary with a $445,560 grant funded by revenues from the Coastal Recreational Fishing License.

Fishermen and others may comment on the proposed sites at a public meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Hyde County Government Center, Multi-purpose Room (County Commissioner's Room), 30 Oyster Creek Street, Swan Quarter.

Written comments will be accepted through Jan. 31 and may be sent by mail to N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries Oyster Sanctuary Program, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, N.C. 28557 or by e-mail to stopher.slade@ncmail.net.

For questions or comments prior to the meeting, contact Stopher Slade, N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, 1-800-682-2632, ext. 8055, or (252) 808-8055.

Click on either image to download high resolution verssion.

Contact: Patricia Smith
Date: Jan. 6, 2009
Phone: (252) 726-7021

GRANT DECISIONS ON MFC MEETING AGENDA

MOREHEAD CITY – The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will meet Jan. 21-23 at the Courtyard Marriott, 100 Charlotte Ave., Carolina Beach.

The MFC is scheduled to vote on Coastal Recreational Fishing License grants for 2009. The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries received 19 applications for grants totaling $2.2 million. A joint committee consisting of members of both the MFC and Wildlife Resources Commission has recommended approval of 11 of the proposals totaling $1.7 million.

Grants from the N.C. Marine Resources Fund, which receives funds from the sale of Coastal Recreational Fishing Licenses, must be approved by both the MFC and WRC. However, the WRC has delegated its decision to the joint committee. If the MFC agrees with the joint committee recommendations, the approval process is complete. If not, the two commissions must come to terms.

Other issues on the MFC meeting agenda include:

Discussion of a new fishing license suspension, revocation and re-issuance proposal. At its November meeting, the MFC asked the Joint Legislative Commission on Seafood and Aquaculture to pursue legislation to allow revision of the schedule against both commercial and recreational license holders. Discussion of the issue is on the Jan. 12 Seafood and Aquaculture Commission meeting agenda.

An update on stock assessments for spotted seatrout and Southern flounder that the Division of Marine Fisheries will use in developing a Spotted Seatrout Fishery Management Plan and reviewing the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan.

Information on the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council Amendments 16, 17 and 18 to the Snapper-Grouper Fishery Management Plan.

The MFC business meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Jan. 22 and 8:30 a.m. Jan. 23. A public comment period will be held at 7 p.m. Jan. 21 at the same location.

See meeting agenda. For more information, contact DMF’s MFC office at (252) 808-8021.

Contact: Patricia Smith
Date: Jan. 2, 2009
Phone: (252) 726-7021

WEEKEND OYSTER SALES PROHIBITED

MOREHEAD CITY – The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is reminding commercial fishermen that the sale of oysters harvested on Saturdays and Sundays is prohibited.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries recently reworded a rule to clarify this point. The new rule became effective Oct. 1.

North Carolina’s commercial oyster season opened Oct. 15 for harvest on Mondays through Fridays.

While state law allows the taking of one bushel of oysters per day for recreational purposes seven days a week, the sale of these oysters is prohibited.