RE: STRIPED
BASS SEASON – OCEAN TRAWL: ATLANTIC OCEAN
Preston
P. Pate, Jr., Director of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 6:00 P.M., Thursday, February 3, 2005,
the following restrictions will apply to the harvest of striped bass with ocean
trawls in the Atlantic Ocean waters of North Carolina.
No person may possess, transport,
buy, sell, or offer for sale striped bass less than 28 inches total length
taken with ocean trawls from the Atlantic Ocean.
No ocean trawl operation,
regardless of the number of persons or vessels involved, may land or sell more
than 50 striped bass. The harvest period
which was to end at 6:00 P.M. Thursday, February 3, 2005 is extended to 12:00
Noon on Friday, February 4, 2005.
A. For purposes of this proclamation, a
trawl is defined as a net made of multi-strand nylon consisting of wings, a body and a
codend.
B. No gill nets may be possessed on board a
vessel used in the taking or landing of striped bass.
Striped bass
harvested in this fishery may only be sold to and purchased by a currently
licensed finfish dealer possessing a valid 2005 Atlantic Ocean Dealer’s Striped Bass Permit.
A. No finfish
dealer may possess, buy, sell or offer for sale striped bass taken from the
Atlantic Ocean without first obtaining a 2005 STRIPED BASS DEALER PERMIT
validated for the Atlantic Ocean from
the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries.
Dealers must abide by all conditions of the STRIPED BASS DEALER PERMIT and the
general permit conditions found in 15A NCAC 3O .0500.
B. Only a STRIPED
BASS DEALER PERMIT validated for the Atlantic Ocean may be used for
transactions involving striped bass taken from the area opened by this
proclamation.
C. Striped bass
lawfully sold to a permitted dealer may be resold to a non-permitted wholesale
or retail market provided the initial permitted dealer records their dealer
identification number on each bill of lading or receipts involved in the
shipment of striped bass. Any
individual or corporation who holds a current finfish dealer license must
obtain a STRIPED BASS DEALER PERMIT validated for the Atlantic Ocean in order
to sell any striped bass personally harvested.
A.
No finfish dealer may possess, buy, sell or offer for sale
striped bass taken from the Atlantic Ocean without having affixed either a
North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries-issued Atlantic Ocean striped bass
sale tag affixed through the mouth and gill cover or, in the case of striped
bass imported from other states, a similar tag that is issued for striped bass
in the state of origin.
B.
North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries Atlantic Ocean striped
bass sale tags may not be bought, sold, offered for sale or transferred.
The ocean
trawl season for striped bass WILL CLOSE
at 12:00 Noon February 4, 2005.
A.
This proclamation is issued under the authority of G.S.
113-170.4; 113-170.5; 113-182; 113-221.1(b);143B-289.52; and N.C. Marine
Fisheries Rules 15A NCAC 3H .0103, 3J .0202 (4), 3M .0201, .0204 and .0503.
B.
It is unlawful to violate the provisions of any proclamation
issued by the Director under his delegated authority pursuant to N.C. Fisheries
Rule 15A NCAC 3H .0103.
C.
The intent of this proclamation is to allow the commercial
harvest of striped bass from the Atlantic Ocean by traditional gears within the
quota established for the 2004/2005 season by the Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Fishery Management Plan for Striped Bass. The landing prohibition at 12:00 Noon on
February 4, 2005 will allow the Division to review landings reports. Landings will be allowed by proclamation
after that date if the quota has not been met.
D.
The waters of the Atlantic Ocean, as applicable to this
proclamation are defined as waters seaward of the COLREGS Demarcation Lines as
indicated on National Ocean Service navigation charts for the areas to which
this proclamation applies.
E.
Atlantic Ocean Commercial Dealer’s Striped Bass Permits and
tags are available at no cost from: N. C. Division of Marine Fisheries, Marine
Patrol, Route 2, Box 43D, Columbia, North Carolina 27925, Telephone: 1-800-405-7774 or 252-796-1322.
F. This
proclamation supersedes FF-5-2005, dated January 25, 2005 and it extends the
harvest time period only. The 50 fish
harvest limit remains the same.
February
3, 2005
12:30
P.M.
FF-9-2005
/sab