FF- 42-2003
RE: SPINY DOGFISH – COMMERCIAL FISHING
OPERATIONS – ATLANTIC OCEAN
Preston
P. Pate, Jr., Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that
effective at 12:01 A.M., Thursday,
January 1, 2004, the following restrictions will apply to the commercial
spiny dogfish fishery:
PERMITS
A. Finfish dealers may not buy more than 100
pounds of spiny dogfish sharks per day per commercial fishing operation unless
the dealer has a valid 2004 Spiny
Dogfish Dealer Permit from the North Carolina Division of Marine
Fisheries. Permits will be issued only
to those licensed fish dealers holding a valid license as authorized in G.S.
113-169.3. Dealers must abide by all
conditions of the 2004 Spiny Dogfish Dealer Permit.
B. Dealers possessing a 2004 Spiny Dogfish Dealer Permit shall report
daily by noon through FAX
transmittal (252-726-3903) to the Division of Marine Fisheries dogfish landings
from the Atlantic Ocean for the previous day.
A. This proclamation is issued under the
authority of G.S. 113-134; 113- 170.4; 113-170.5; 113-181; 113-182; 113-221(e);
143B-289.52 and NC Marine Fisheries Rules 15A NCAC 3M .0505, 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. Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 3I .0113 specifies
that it is unlawful for any licensee under Chapter 113, Subchapter IV of the
General Statutes to refuse to allow the Fisheries Director or his agents to
obtain biological data, harvest information, or other statistical data
necessary or useful to the conservation and management of marine and estuarine
resources from fish in the licensee=s possession.
D. The intent of this proclamation is to establish the requirement for a dealer permit and a reporting process for the taking of spiny dogfish sharks from the Atlantic Ocean. This is to assure that the 2004 quota allocated to North Carolina in the joint Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council – New England Fisheries Management Council Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan is not exceeded.
E. Spiny
Dogfish Dealer Permits are available at no cost from all Division of Marine
Fisheries License Offices beginning November 17, 2003.
F. A
proclamation will be issued at a later date establishing trip limits or other
harvest restrictions for the spiny dogfish fishery beginning January 1, 2004.
November 10, 2003
1:00 P.M.
FF-42-2003
/dlt