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M-1-2010 PROCLAMATION RE: GILL NETS - ALBEMARLE SOUND MANAGEMENT AREA Dr. Louis B. Daniel III, Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 12:01 A.M., Monday, February 1, 2010, the following provisions shall apply to the use of gill nets in the ALBEMARLE SOUND MANAGEMENT AREA. AREA DESCRIPTION Albemarle Sound Management Area as described in Marine Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 03R.0201 (a). Only gill nets meeting the specified mesh lengths shall be used in the areas identified below. A fishing operation, regardless of the number of vessels or persons involved, shall adhere to the gill net restrictions specified for the following areas: Albemarle Sound, Currituck Sound, Croatan Sound and Roanoke Sound and their Joint Water Tributaries A. No gill nets with a mesh length greater than six inches shall be used. C. Gill nets with a mesh length of 3 ¾ and 4 inches may be used east of a line from Baum Point 35° 55.1602’ N - 75° 39.5736’ W to Rhodoms Point 36° 00.2146’ N- 75° 43.6399’ W and east of a line from Eagleton Point 36° 01.3178’ N - 75° 43.6585’ W to Long Point 36° 02.4971’N - 75° 44.2261’ W at the mouth of Kitty Hawk Bay. Gill nets with a mesh length of 3 ¾ and 4 inches may also be used south of the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge (Highway 64/264) at Manns Harbor. Gill nets with a mesh length of 3 ¾ and 4 inches shall not exceed 800 yards. D. The total amount of small mesh gill nets (3 ¼ inch, 3 ¾ inch, and 4 inch) used shall not exceed 800 yards in any combination. No other mesh sizes below 5 1/2 are allowed except those listed. E. Gill nets with a mesh length of 5 ¼ inches and larger shall not exceed 1,000 yards except as provided in Section II. F. F. Gill nets with a mesh length of 5 ½ inches and larger are required to be equipped with tie downs spaced no further apart then 10 yards, restricting the vertical distance between the top and bottom lines to 48 inches or less unless they are equipped with floats that do not exceed 2 inches in diameter and 6 inches in length placed a minimum of 10 yards apart, not to exceed 11 floats per 100 yards of net. Nets must be set so as to fish the bottom not to exceed a vertical height of 48 inches. Gill nets meeting these criteria shall not exceed 3,000 yards in length per fishing operation. G. No gill nets may be used in the area southwest of a line from Black Walnut Point 35° 59.3833’ N - 76° 41.0060’W; running southeasterly to a point 35° 56.3333’N - 76° 36.0333’ W at the mouth of Mackey’s Creek, including Roanoke, Cashie, Middle and Eastmost rivers. DRIFT GILL NETS No gill nets may be used in the joint waters of Roanoke, Middle, Eastmost and Cashie rivers. No drift gill nets may be used in the Chowan and Meherrin rivers. IV. RECREATIONAL NET RESTRICTIONS IV. 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; B. It is unlawful to violate 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 intent of this proclamation is to allow directed fisheries for mullet, white perch, hickory shad and flounder while managing Albemarle Sound Management Area striped bass within the quota established by the North Carolina Estuarine Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan, and the river herring stocks under a no harvest measure, as adopted by the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission in the North Carolina River Herring Fishery Management Plan and controlling the bycatch of striped bass in directed gill net fisheries. January 26, 2010 |