FF-6-2001
PROCLAMATION
Preston
P. Pate, Jr., Director, Division of
Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 12:01 A.M., Thursday, January 11, 2001, the following restrictions
will apply to the black sea bass commercial
fishery north of Cape Hatteras
(35E
15' N. Latitude):
I.
SIZE
LIMIT
No
person may possess aboard a vessel black sea bass less than 10 inches in total
length.
II. HARVEST
LIMITS
A.
Quarter I Harvest Period
No
person may possess aboard a vessel or land within a 24 hour period more than
9,000 pounds of black sea bass from January 11, 2001 through March 31, 2001.
No
person may possess aboard a vessel or land within a 24 hour period more than
1,500 pounds of black sea bass from April 1, 2001 through June 30, 2001.
C.
Quarter III
Harvest Period
No person may possess aboard a vessel or land within a
24 hour period more than 1,000 pounds of black sea bass from July 1, 2001
through September 30, 2001.
No person may possess aboard a
vessel or land in a 24 hour period more than 2,000 pounds of black sea bass
from October 1, 2001 through December 31, 2001.
III. GEAR
RESTRICTIONS
A. TRAWLS:
The
following restrictions apply when 200 or more pounds of black sea bass are
possessed on board the vessel:
1. No person may use or possess on deck
trawls with a cod end (tailbag) less than 4 inches hung on a diamond or less
than 3 1/2 inches hung on a square. The
cod end of the trawl is defined as:
(a) At least 75 continuous meshes forward of the
terminus (end) of the net; or
(b) The terminal one-third portion (measured from
the terminus of the cod end to the head rope) of the net, if the cod end is
less than 75 meshes.
2. Tailbag liners of any mesh size or double hung cod ends may not be used or possessed on the deck of a vessel.
3. Rollers used in roller rig or rock hopper
trawl gear shall be no larger than 18 inches in diameter.
B. FISH TRAPS/POTS:
Black
sea bass pots or traps must conform with the Federal rule requirements for
escape vents specified in 50 CFR 648.144 (b)(1) and for degradable fasteners
specified in 50 CFR 648.144 (b)(3).
(See General Information, Item D).
IV. GENERAL INFORMATION
A. This
proclamation is issued under the authority of G.S. 113-182; 113-221(e);
143B-289.52 and N.C. Marine Fisheries Rules 15A NCAC 3H .0103, 3J .0104, 3M
.0506(b)(1) and .0512.
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. This proclamation is issued pursuant to
action taken by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission on August 14-17,
2000 establishing state trip limits for the black sea bass fishery in the year
2001. The intent of this proclamation is to allow North Carolina to comply with
the requirements of the joint Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management
Council-Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Summer Flounder, Scup and
Black Sea Bass Fisheries Management Plan.
D. Copies of escape vent specifications for black sea bass pots north of Cape Hatteras are available via the Federal Register posted on the Internet at www.access.gpo.gov and from the Division of Marine Fisheries, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, NC 28557.
E. This proclamation supersedes FF-21-2000,
dated April 12, 2000.
January 8, 2001
10:00 A.M.
FF-6-2001
/sab