FF-29-2001
RE: STRIPED BASS SEASON - COMMERCIAL FISHING OPERATIONS - INTERNAL COASTAL WATERS OF CARTERET, CRAVEN, BEAUFORT, AND PAMLICO COUNTIES, PUNGO AND WHITE OAK RIVERS
Preston P.
Pate, Jr., Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that
effective at 12:01 A.M., Wednesday,
March 14, 2001, the striped bass season WILL CLOSE in the areas described below for COMMERCIAL
FISHING OPERATIONS:
A. Pamlico and Pungo rivers and their
joint and coastal water tributaries west of a line beginning at a point on the
north shore 35° 22' 18" N - 76°
28' 16 " W (Roos Point) running 198° (M) through Marker #1 to a point on
the south shore 35° 18' 48" N - 76° 29' 00" W (Pamlico Point).
B. Jones Bay/Bay River - west of a line at Sow Island Point at 35° 13' 01" N-76° 29' 42" W, running 226 °(M) to a point at Bay Point at 35° 11' 05" N - 76° 31' 34" W, then running 201° (M) to Maw Point at 35° 09' 02" N -76° 32' 10" W.
C. Neuse River - west of a line beginning at
Maw Point at 35° 09' 02" N -76° 32' 10" W, running 161°(M) to Point
of Marsh at 35° 04' 33" – 76° 28' 14" W.
D. West Bay- south of a line beginning at a
point at 35° 03' 31" N - 76° 26' 08" W, running 117° (M) to a point
at 35° 02' 11" N - 76° 21' 45" W.
E. All internal coastal waters of Carteret
County south of a line from Camp Point at 34° 59' 50" N -76° 14'
38"W, through Wainwright Island running 115°(M) to a point on Core Banks
at 34° 58' 54" N - 76° 09'
00" W to and including all of White Oak River up to the Inland
Water boundary.
II. SEASON
A. No person may take, possess, buy, sell
or offer for sale striped bass from the area defined above, except that dealers
have until March 21, 2001 to sell, offer for sale, transport, or have in
possession unfrozen striped bass taken in this fishery prior to the closure.
III.
GENERAL INFORMATION
A. This
proclamation is issued under the authority of G.S. 113-169.1; 113-182;
113-221(e); 143B-289.52; and N.C. Marine Fisheries Rules 15A NCAC 3H .0103, 3M
.0201 and 3M. .0202.
B. It
is unlawful to violate the provisions of any proclamation issued by the
Fisheries Director under his delegated authority per 15A NCAC 3H .0103.
C. The
allotment of the annual striped bass non-Albemarle Sound Management Area quota
(25,000 pounds) from the above described areas has been reached. The intent of this proclamation is to
equitably distribute the quota established by the North Carolina Estuarine
Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan.
D. All
striped bass taken during season closures and all undersized striped bass shall
be immediately returned to the waters where taken, regardless of the condition
of the fish.
E. The
Striped Bass Dealer Permit for the Central Area [15A NCAC 3O .0503 (b) (2) (A)
(iii)] will no longer be valid upon this closure. Permittees must submit
required reporting logs (where such reports have not been faxed) to the
Division of Marine Fisheries’ Elizabeth City Office by Monday, March 19, 2001.
F. This
proclamation supersedes the portions of Proclamation FF-23-2001, dated February
6, 2001, which opened the above area.
Pamlico Sound closed on March 2, 2001 by Proclamation FF-27-2001, dated
February 27, 2001.
February
9, 2001
9:15
A.M.
FF-29-2001
/sab