FF-39-2010

PROCLAMATION

RE: STRIPED BASS SEASON - COMMERCIAL FISHING OPERATIONS - INTERNAL COASTAL WATERS OF CARTERET, CRAVEN, BEAUFORT, AND PAMLICO COUNTIES, PUNGO RIVER, WEST BAY, PAMLICO SOUND

Dr. Louis B. Daniel III, Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 12:01 A.M., Saturday, March 27, 2010, the striped bass season WILL CLOSE in the areas described below for COMMERCIAL FISHING OPERATIONS.
 
I. AREA DESCRIPTION
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° 22.3622’ N - 76° 28.2032’ W (Roos Point) running southerly through Marker #1 to a point on the south shore 35° 18.5906’N - 76° 28.9530’ W (Pamlico Point).

B. Jones Bay/Bay River - west of a line at Sow Island Point at 35° 13.0166’N-76° 29.7000' W, running southwest to a point at Bay Point at 35° 11.0833' N-76° 31.5666'W, then running southerly to Maw Point at 35° 9.0333’ N - 76° 32.1666' W.

C. Neuse River - west of a line beginning at Maw Point at 35° 09.0333' N-76° 32.1666’ W, running southeast to Point of Marsh at 35° 04.5500' N- 76° 28.2333’ W.

D. West Bay- south of a line beginning at a point at 35° 03.5166’N - 76° 26.1333’ W, running southeasterly to a point at 35° 02.1833'N - 76° 21.7500' W.

E. Pamlico Sound – south of a line from Roanoke Marshes Point 35° 48.3693’N- 75° 43.7232’ W; to the north point of Eagle Nest Bay 35° 44.1710’N – 75° 31.0520' W (southern boundary of the Albemarle Sound Management Area) to the boundaries at the mouths of all the rivers described in I.A.-I.D. and north of a line from Camp Point at 35° 00.0833’ N - 76° 14.8000’ W, through Wainwright Island running 115°(M) to a point on Core Banks at 34° 58.8167’ N -76° 12.4667’ W.

II. SEASON
No person may take, possess, transport, buy, sell or offer for sale striped bass from the area defined above, except dealers will have until April 8, 2010 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 N.C.G.S. 113-170.4; 113-170.5; 113-182; 113-221.1; 143B 289.52; and N.C. Marine Fisheries Rules 15A NCAC 03H .0103, 03M .0202, and 03O .0500 et seq.

B. It is unlawful to violate the provisions of any proclamation issued by the Fisheries Director under his delegated authority pursuant to N.C. Marine Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 03H .0103.

C. The annual allotment of the Central/Southern Management Area quota (25,000 pounds) for striped bass 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. The striped bass Dealer Permit validated for the Central Area is no longer 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 April 1, 2010.

E. This proclamation supersedes Proclamation FF-29-2010 (REVISED), dated March 2, 2010.

March 23, 2010
12:15 P.M.
FF-39-2010