PROCLAMATION

RE: 2003 SHRIMPING AND CRAB TRAWLING

Preston P. Pate, Jr., Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that the following areas will close to shrimping and crab trawling, effective at 2:00 P.M., Friday, June 6, 2003:

CARTERET COUNTY

Newport River – east of a line beginning at Crab Point 34° 44.6166’N – 76° 42.2166’W; running northeasterly to a point at the southern end of the west shore of Core Creek 34° 46.4000’N – 76° 41.2833’W. (Map 1)

North River-Straits- north of an area bound by a line beginning at a point at Lennoxville Point 34° 42.4166’N – 76° 37.0000’W; running easterly to a point on the southwest shore of Harkers Island at 34° 42.1833’N – 76° 35.1500’W; running easterly following the southern shoreline of Harkers Island to Shell Point at 34° 41.0666’N – 76° 31.5833; running northerly to a point on the east shore of Brown’s Island at 34° 42.2666’N – 76° 31.2333’W; running northerly to a point at Marshallberg at 34° 43.2166’N – 76° 31.7000’W. This closure includes all of North River and the Straits. (Map 2)

GENERAL INFORMATION:

A. This proclamation is issued under the authority of G.S. 113-170.4; 113-170.5; 113-182; 113-221 (e); 143B-289.52 and N.C. Marine Fisheries Rules 15A NCAC 3H .0103; 3L .0101 and .0202.

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 purpose of this proclamation is to protect the small brown shrimp that are present in normally opened areas due to the unusual amount of recent rainfall.

D. This proclamation supersedes the portions of proclamations SH-4-2003, SH-5-2003 and SH-6-2003 dated June 2 and 3, 2003 respectively, that pertain to these areas.

June 4, 2003

2:00 P.M.

SH-7-2003

/sab