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OCTOBER 2010 NEWS RELEASES Contact: Patricia Smith Fisheries Commission Revises Agenda The revised agenda can be found online at http://www.ncfisheries.net/mfc/agendas/MFC_Nov2010/MFC_AgendaNov2010.pdf. The commission meeting begins at 6 p.m. Nov. 3, 9 a.m. Nov. 4 and 8:30 a.m. Nov. 5 at the Hilton Riverfront Hotel, 100 Middle Street, New Bern. The meeting is open to the public, and public comment periods are scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 3 and 9:15 a.m. Nov. 4.
Contact: Patricia Smith Fisheries Commission to Meet in New Bern MOREHEAD CITY – The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will meet Nov. 3-5 at the Hilton Riverfront Hotel, 100 Middle Street, New Bern. The meeting is open to the public. Public comment periods are scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 3 and 9:15 a.m. Nov. 4. The commission is scheduled to vote on adoption of a supplement to the Oyster Fishery Management Plan that proposes giving the director of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries discretion to increase the mechanical harvest limit of oysters up to a set amount selected by the commission. Information collected by division staff indicates mechanical harvest could be as high as 25 bushels per operation per day, in periods of high abundance, without significantly impacting the sustainability of the stock. As another option, the commission is considering allowing two fishermen, fishing on one vessel, to each keep a daily harvest limit. The commission is also slated to vote on final adoption of an amendment to the Bay Scallop Fishery Management Plan that will put in place a new way to determine when to open waters to bay scallop harvesting. The draft amendment sets up progressive management triggers, based on sampling data from 1984-85, prior to a red tide event in 1987-88. These triggers would allow limited harvest when division sampling indicates bay scallop abundance in a given water body is at 50 percent of the level it was in 1984-85. Trip limits and fishing days would progressively increase if sampling showed bay scallop abundance was at 75 percent or 125 percent of 1984-85 levels. Other agenda items include selecting preferred management options for an amendment to the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan for review by the secretary of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Joint Legislative Commission on Seafood and Aquaculture. The draft plan proposes increasing the recreational minimum size limit to 15 inches and decreasing the creel limit to six fish per day. The Spotted Seatrout Fishery Management Plan will go before the commission again, as well, so the board may consider departmental and legislative input before tentatively adopting the plan. A full agenda can be found online at http://www.ncfisheries.net/mfc/agendas/MFC_Nov2010/MFC_AgendaNov2010.pdf . The meeting begins at 6 p.m. Nov. 3, 9 a.m. Nov. 4 and 8:30 a.m. Nov. 5. nr-54-10 Contact: Patricia Smith Oyster Season Means Oyster Shell Recycling Season, Too MOREHEAD CITY – It’s time to pull out the iron grate and roast oysters over the fire pit. That means it’s time to recycle those shells, as well. The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ Oyster Shell Recycling Program provides 126 drop-off centers for shellfish lovers to chuck their shucks, including new recycling sites opening Oct. 26 in Clinton. Also, 70 restaurants, in various counties, participate in the program. While prominent on the coast, the program includes sites in counties west of Interstate 95 such as Johnston, Wake, Orange and Durham. Recycling oyster shells helps reduce waste flow into landfills and benefits the environment. The Oyster Shell Recycling program returns the oyster, clam, conch and mussel shells to coastal waters where they serve as essential habitat. The program has collected more than 120,000 bushels of shell since it began in the fall of 2003. When oysters spawn, the larvae need a hard substrate on which to attach and grow. Oysters will attach to many kinds of surfaces, but they prefer shell material. Oysters serve as food for humans, birds and fish. They also clean pollutants from the water. One adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day. Oyster reefs also provide habitat for fish and other marine life which in return provide great hook-and-line fishing opportunities. A list of public oyster shell recycling sites and restaurants that participate in the program can be found on the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries website at http://www.ncfisheries.net/shellfish/recycle1.htm. For more information, contact N.C. Oyster Shell Recycling Coordinator Sabrina Varnam at (252) 726-7021 or (800) 682-2632 or Sabrina.Varnam@ncdenr.gov. A photograph of Varnam collecting oyster shell at Grantsboro Recycling Center in Pamlico County can be found at http://ncfisheries.net/news/images2010/OysterShellRecycling.jpg. nr-53-10 Contact: Lauren Morris Marine Fisheries Commission Seeks Advisors MOREHEAD CITY – The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission is looking for commercial and recreational fishermen and scientists to advise them on various fisheries issues. Four regional advisory committees – Northeast, Central, Southeast and Inland – and four standing advisory committees – Crustacean, Shellfish, Finfish, and Habitat and Water Quality – review matters referred to them by the commission, such as draft fishery management plans, and recommend management strategies. Committees may also bring issues pertaining to their region or subject matter to the commission’s attention. Individuals interested in serving as advisors should be willing to attend meetings at least once every two months and actively participate in the committee process. Advisors will be reimbursed for travel and other expenses incurred in relation to their official duties. The Marine Fisheries Commission chairman appoints members for three-year terms. Several terms will expire in January. Adviser applications are available online at http://www.ncfisheries.net/mfc/advisorforms.html, at Division of Marine Fisheries’ offices or by calling (252) 808-8023 or 800-682-2632. Applications should be returned by Nov. 15 to the Division of Marine Fisheries, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, NC 28557, Attention: Lauren Morris. nr-52-2010 Contact: Patricia Smith Marine Fisheries Commission Seeks Blue Crab Advisors MOREHEAD CITY - The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission is looking for commercial and recreational fishermen and scientists to serve on the Blue Crab Fishery Management Plan Advisory Committee. The commission is seeking individuals from the following categories:
The committee will assist the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries in updating the Blue Crab Fishery Management Plan. The commission uses fishery management plans as guides for implementing regulations and other management measures. Applications are available online at http://www.ncdmf.net/mfc/advisorforms.html, or at the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ offices or by calling (252) 808-8023 or (800) 682-2632. Applications should be returned by Nov. 15 to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, NC 28557, Attention Lauren Morris. nr-51-10 Contact: Kate Michie NOAA Seeks Public Comments on a Proposed Rule to Establish Annual Catch Limits and NOAA Fisheries Service is seeking public comment on a proposed rule that would implement Amendment 17B to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Amendment 17B). This proposed rule, would establish annual catch limits (ACLs) and accountability measures (AMs) for nine snapper-grouper species. The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act requires NOAA Fisheries Service and fishery management councils to establish ACLs and AMs for each species undergoing overfishing (rate of removal is too high) by 2010. ACLs are set at levels that prevent overfishing. AMs are management controls established to ensure that ACLs are not exceeded, or they may correct for overages if ACLs are exceeded during a fishing season. In the South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery there are nine species undergoing overfishing including speckled hind, warsaw grouper, snowy grouper, golden tilefish, black sea bass, red grouper, gag, vermilion snapper, and red snapper. Amendment 17B includes actions to establish ACLs and AMs for eight of these species as well as black grouper. Red snapper is being addressed in a separate amendment (Amendment 17A to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region). The proposed rule for Amendment 17B, if made final, would also specify management measures intended to address overfishing, including a prohibition on harvest and retention of snowy grouper, blueline tilefish, yellowedge grouper, misty grouper, queen snapper, and silk snapper, beyond 240 feet (73 m) in federal waters of the South Atlantic. This species prohibition is intended NOAA Fisheries Service is seeking public comment on a proposed rule that would implement Amendment 17B to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Amendment 17B). This proposed rule, would establish annual catch limits (ACLs) and accountability measures (AMs) for nine snapper-grouper species. The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act requires NOAA Fisheries Service and fishery management councils to establish ACLs and AMs for each species undergoing overfishing (rate of removal is too high) by 2010. ACLs are set at levels that prevent overfishing. AMs are management controls established to ensure that ACLs are not exceeded, or they may correct for overages if ACLs are exceeded during a fishing season. In the South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery there are nine species undergoing overfishing including speckled hind, warsaw grouper, snowy grouper, golden tilefish, black sea bass, red grouper, gag, vermilion snapper, and red snapper. Amendment 17B includes actions to establish ACLs and AMs for eight of these species as well as black grouper. Red snapper is being addressed in a separate amendment (Amendment 17A to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region). The proposed rule for Amendment 17B, if made final, would also specify management measures intended to address overfishing, including a prohibition on harvest and retention of snowy grouper, blueline tilefish, yellowedge grouper, misty grouper, queen snapper, and silk snapper, beyond 240 feet (73 m) in federal waters of the South Atlantic. This species prohibition is intended to reduce incidental catch of speckled hind and warsaw grouper. Request for Comments Addresses
You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
Contact: Robert K. Mahood South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s
The public hearings will take place from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.. Members of the public are invited to attend the hearings, learn more about the issues from Council staff and provide formal comments to area Council members in attendance. Written comments will be accepted until November 12, 2010 and can be sent via e-mail to: SGAmend18AComments@safmc.net. Send hard copies to: Federal Fishery Public Hearing Items:
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NOAA’s Fisheries Service has proposed that five populations of Atlantic sturgeon along the U.S. East Coast receive protection under the federal Endangered Species Act. The Gulf of Maine population is proposed for listing as threatened, and endangered status is proposed for the Chesapeake Bay, New York Bight, Carolina, and South Atlantic populations.
To submit comments on the Carolina and South Atlantic proposed listings, identified by the XRIN 0648-XN50, use any of the following methods:
NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/usnoaagov. Contact: Patricia Smith Southern Core Sound to Reopen to Flounder Gill Net Fishing MOREHEAD CITY – Southern Core Sound will reopen to large mesh gill net fishing one hour before sunset Wednesday. The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is reopening these waters to determine if the large mesh gill net fishery can operate during the latter part of the fall season and avoid interactions with threatened and endangered sea turtles. “With few sea turtle interactions in northern Core and Pamlico sounds over the past month and the extraordinary rainfall event of last week, it is important for us to collect information in this area to see if operations can continue,” said division Director Louis Daniel. The southern portion of the sound, between Drum Inlet and the east end of Harkers Island, has been closed to flounder gill net fishing since Sept. 3 due to observed interactions with sea turtles. The waters had just reopened Sept. 1 after a summer closure that began June 28 for the same reason. The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries issued a proclamation today that allows the use of large-mesh gill nets (4-inch to 6.5-inch stretch mesh, inclusive) in southern Core Sound under the same restrictions that apply to the rest of Core Sound. Those regulations can be found on the division website at http://www.ncfisheries.net/procs/procs2k10/M-14-2010.html. Under these restrictions, fishermen who set large mesh gill nets (4-inch to 6.5-inch stretch mesh, inclusive) must use low-profile nets of no more than 15 meshes in height. The nets may be set only on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights, no sooner than one hour before sunset each night, and retrieved no later than one hour after sunrise the following morning. Fishermen must use a lead core or leaded bottom line, but they may not use cork, floats or other buoys, except those required for identification. The regulations limit fishermen to 100-yard sets with at least 25 yards between the separate lengths of net. Fishermen may not use more than a total of 2,000 yards of large mesh gill net per vessel. The restrictions do not apply to run-around, strike or drop nets that are used to surround a school of fish and then are immediately retrieved. For more information, contact David Taylor, division Fisheries Management Section chief, at (252) 808-8074 or (800) 682-2632 or David.L.Taylor@ncdenr.gov. nr-50-10 Contact: Patricia Smith Newsletter Focuses on Fishing Issues Involving Sea Turtles MOREHEAD CITY – One of the biggest challenges facing North Carolina fisheries management is balancing commercial and recreational fishing with the need to protect sea turtles. The Fall 2010 edition of Fish Eye News focuses on several of these issues, with articles that explain the past, present and future of federal government’s strategy for sea turtle conservation and describe some of the research being conducted in our state. One article discusses how hook and line fisheries also sometimes interact with sea turtles. Fish Eye News is a Web-based newsletter issued four times a year by the DMF Public Affairs Section. A link can be found on the division’s Web site at http://www.ncfisheries.net/fisheye/2010FishEyeNews/2010_October_Fisheye.html. The intent of Fish Eye News is to draw attention to issues affecting marine fisheries in North Carolina and to promote a better understanding of agency functions. Publications may reprint articles in whole or part. For more information, contact Patricia Smith, the division’s public information officer, at (252) 808-8025 or Tricia.Smith@ncdenr.gov.
Contact: Patricia Smith State Will Allow Shrimp Trawling This Weekend MOREHEAD CITY – The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will open coastal waters to shrimp trawling this weekend to offset impacts from the tropical depression that moved through the state this week. Whenever there is an influx of fresh water into saltwater creeks and rivers, shrimp will run from it into the higher salinity sounds and ocean, said David Taylor, chief of the division’s Fisheries Management Section. “If the fishermen are allowed to shrimp this weekend, they may be able to harvest some of these shrimp before they get into the ocean and scatter,” Taylor said. State fisheries rules normally close internal coastal waters to shrimp trawling from 9 p.m. Friday to 5 p.m. Sunday each week. This weekend, fishermen will be allowed to use shrimp trawls from noon Saturday through 5 p.m. Sunday. The normal weekend closure will resume Oct. 8. For more information, contact Taylor at (252) 808-8074 or David.L.Taylor@ncdenr.gov.
Contact: Patricia Smith Commercial Ocean Striped Bass Fishermen Need Permit MOREHEAD CITY – Commercial fishermen wishing to participate in the ocean striped bass fishery this winter need to purchase an Atlantic Ocean Striped Bass Commercial Gear Permit. The permit costs $10 and is available at any N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries license office. Fisherman can also call the division to request a mail-in application. The permit must be obtained before Nov. 1 for a fisherman to be eligible to participate in the fishery this winter. Fishermen may obtain only one permit per person. At the time of permit application, the person holding the commercial fishing license or license assignment must declare what type of gear he intends to use: gill net, trawl or beach seine. Gear declarations are binding on the permit holder for three consecutive years without regard to subsequent annual permit issuance. Fishermen who obtained a permit last year must apply for another permit this year and declare the same gear type as last year. This is the second year North Carolina has required a commercial ocean striped bass gear permit. The permit was implemented to curtail conflicts between commercial fishermen competing for an annual quota. In the past, these conflicts have resulted in derby-style fishing and early season closures. For more information on the permit, contact Don Hesselman, chief of the DMF License and Statistics Section, at (252) 808-8099 or Don.Hesselman@ncdenr.gov.
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