RE: RIVER HERRING
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 harvest of river herring:
I.
SEASON
The river herring season will open in all waters of the state.
A.
The river herring
season in all areas, excluding the
Albemarle Sound Herring Management Area and the Chowan River Herring Management
Area, will open with no harvest restrictions and will close at midnight on April 14, 2004.
B.
The river herring
commercial season in the Albemarle Sound Herring Management Area and the Chowan River Herring Management Area
will close when the poundage allocations specified below are reached.
Proclamations closing the fisheries will be issued at that time.
C.
The river herring
season for recreational purposes in the Albemarle Sound Herring Management Area
and the Chowan River Herring Management Area will close at midnight on April 14, 2004.
II. AREA
DESCRIPTION
The
Albemarle Sound Herring Management Area and the Chowan River Herring Management
Area as described in Marine Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 3J .0209.
III. HARVEST LIMITS
A. The
quota allocation, as set forth in Rule 3M .0513, for the pound net fishery in
the Chowan River Herring Management Area will be limited to a total of 200,000
pounds.
B.
The quota allocation
for commercial gill net fisheries within the Albemarle Sound Herring Management
Area and Chowan River Herring Management Area will be limited to a total of
67,000 pounds.
C.
An additional 33,000
pounds is available to be allocated at the discretion of the Fisheries
Director.
IV. 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 and 3M .0513.
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 place
harvest limits on the pound net and gill net fisheries of Chowan River Herring
Management Area and the Albemarle Sound Herring Management Area in accordance
with restrictions adopted by the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission in
the River Herring Fishery Management Plan on February 17, 2000. Under this
Plan, the annual commercial quota for both areas is 300,000 pounds. This total is divided into 200,000 pounds
allocated to the pound net fishery in the Chowan River Herring Management Area,
67,000 pounds allocated to the gill net fishery in the Albemarle Sound Herring
Management Area, and 33,000 pounds to be allocated by the Director at his
discretion. The quota and allocations
apply to the calendar year.
D.
According
to Marine Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 3M .0513, it is unlawful to possess more than
25 blueback herring or alewife (river herring), in the aggregate, per person,
per day, taken for recreational purposes.
E. Marine Fisheries Rule 15A
NCAC 3O .0503 (b)(3) requires dealer permits and related reporting requirements.
December 9, 2003
FF-52-2003
11:30 A.M.
/sab