FF-31-2002
PROCLAMATION
Preston
P. Pate, Jr., Director, Division of
Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 12:01 A.M., Tuesday, May 28, 2002, the following restrictions will
apply to the black sea bass commercial
fishery north of Cape Hatteras (35° 15’N. Latitude):
I.
SIZE
LIMIT
North of Cape Hatteras
(35E
15' N. Latitude):No person may possess aboard a vessel black sea bass less than
11 inches in total length.
II. HARVEST
LIMITS
No
person may possess aboard a vessel or land more than 150 pounds of black sea
bass in a 24 hour period or 1,000 pounds per week from May 28, through June 30,
2002. For purposes of this proclamation, a week shall be from 12:01 A.M.
Sunday to midnight the following Saturday.
B. Quarter
III Harvest Period
No
person may possess aboard a vessel or land more than 500 pounds of black sea
bass in a 24 hour period or 3,000 pounds per week from July 1, 2002 through
September 30, 2002.
C. Quarter IV Harvest Period
No
person may possess aboard a vessel or land more than 750 pounds of black sea
bass in a 24 hour period or 4,000 pounds per week from October 1, 2002 through
December 31, 2002.
III. GEAR
RESTRICTIONS
A. TRAWLS:
The
following restrictions apply when 500 or more pounds of black sea bass are
possessed on board a vessel from January through March or 100 pounds from April
through December:
1. No person may use or possess on deck:
(a)Trawl
nets with a cod end (tailbag) less than 4 ½ inches (hung on a diamond) applied
throughout the cod end for at least 75 continuous meshes forward of the terminus
(end) of the net; or
(b)Trawl
nets with cod ends less than 75 meshes (including an extension) with a mesh
size less than 4 ½ inches (hung on a diamond) applied throughout the net.
2. Tailbag liners of any mesh size or double hung cod ends may not be used or possessed on deck of a vessel.
3. Rollers used in roller rig or rock hopper trawl gear shall be no longer 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)(2) and for degradable fasteners
specified in 50 CFR 648.144 (b)(3)(i), (ii) and (iii). (See General Information, Item D).
IV. GENERAL INFORMATION
A. This
proclamation is issued under the authority of G.S. 113-182; 113-221(e);
113-170.4; 113-170.5; 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 February 21,
2002 establishing state trip limits for the black sea bass fishery in the year
2002. 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.
The minimum size limit for black
sea bass south of Cape Hatteras remains 10 inches in total length.
D. The National Marine Fisheries Service projects
that sixty percent of the quota for Harvest Period II will be taken by May 28,
necessitating these reductions in possession limits. These restrictions expire July 1, 2002 with the beginning of
Harvest Period III.
E. 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.nero.nmfs.gov/ro/doc/the648.htm and from the Division of Marine Fisheries, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, NC 28557.
F.
This proclamation supersedes
Proclamation FF-4-2002, dated January 7, 2002.
May 24, 2002
9:00 A.M.
FF-31-2002
/sab