RE: COMMERCIAL GILL NETS - PAMLICO SOUND - GILL NET RESTRICTED AREA
(GNRA)
Preston P. Pate, Jr., Director, Division of Marine
Fisheries, hereby announces that effective 5:00
P.M., Saturday, October 13, 2001, the following management measures for
commercial gill net fisheries in Pamlico Sound will apply:
I. Northern
Portion of Shallow Water Gill Net Restricted Area 3 (SGNRA3) Opening
A. Reopening
Portion of SGNRA 3
The area from Rodanthe to New Inlet: All of SGNRA3 south of the 35° 41’ Latitude. (See
attached Map)
B. Gear Restrictions
The following restrictions will apply to the commercial gill net fisheries occurring
in the area of Pamlico Sound described in I.A. above. Large mesh gill nets are
defined in this proclamation as those gill nets with stretched mesh of 5 inches
and greater. Small mesh gill nets are
defined as those gill nets with stretched mesh less than 5 inches.
1.From October 13 through December 15, 2001, the
use of large mesh gill nets is allowed. Commercial fishing operations using large or
small mesh gill nets will require a GNRA Permit and will be limited to a
maximum of 2,000 yards.
2.From October 13 through October 31, 2001, attendance is required for fishing operations using small mesh gill
nets.
II.
GNRA PERMIT
CONDITION AMENDMENTS
The Permit requirements and conditions specified in Proclamation M-11-2001 (Second Revision), dated September 12, 2001, still apply, except that the requirement to affix the GNRA permit number to an additional identification buoy of any color except hot pink or yellow on each end of the net in the water is no longer required.
III.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
A. This proclamation is issued under the authority of G. S. 113-134; 113-181; 113-182; 113-221(e); 143B-289.52 and N.C. Fisheries Rules 15A NCAC 3H .0103, 3I .0107, 3I .0113, 3J .0103, 3O .0500, and 3O .0506.
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 intent of this
proclamation is to allow the use of large mesh gill nets in the area between
Rodanthe and New Inlet because lower water temperatures in the area minimize
the threat of sea turtle interactions.
Also, this action will eliminate the requirement to affix the GNRA
permit number to an additional identification buoy of any color except hot pink
or yellow on each end of the net in the water.
D. “Attendance” is defined in N.C. Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 3I .0101 (b) (40).
E. This proclamation supplements, but does not supersede, the small mesh gill net attendance requirement for areas described in Marine Fisheries Temporary Rule 3J .0103 (approved May 1, 2001) from May 1 through October 31 each year. It does supersede the gear restrictions in Proclamation M-14-2001 dated September 27, 2001 for the area described in I.A. except that the area above 35° 41’ latitude remains closed to large mesh gillnets and eliminates the GNRA permit requirement to affix the GNRA permit number to an additional identification buoy of any color except hot pink or yellow on each end of the net in the water.
September 27, 2001
4:00 P.M.
M-15-2001
/sab