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M-17-2009 PROCLAMATION RE: - GILL NETS - CAPE FEAR RIVER Dr. Louis B. Daniel III, Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 12 Noon, Friday, August 21, 2009, the following restrictions will apply to the gill net fishery in the lower Cape Fear River: I. AREA DESCRIPTION: All waters of the lower Cape Fear River bounded on the north by a line beginning at Intracoastal Waterway Marker # 163 on the south shore of Snow’s Cut running westerly to a point on the north side of the spoil island between Snow’s Cut and the Cape Fear River shipping channel 34° 03.1143’N-77° 55.9808’W; running southwesterly to a point on the south shore of Orton Creek 34° 02.8235’N-77° 56.7552’W; running southerly following the shoreline of the Cape Fear River and the IWW to IWW Marker “3” at Southport 33°51.3320’N-78°02.4253’W; running south to a point on the west shore of Molasses Creek 33°50.6433’N-78°02.7094’W; running easterly following the shoreline of Oak Island to the COLREGS Demarcation Line at a point 33°53.3320’N-78°01.5511’W then running southerly along the COLREGS Line to a point on Bald Head Island 33°52.5251’N-78°00.1679’W; then following the shoreline of Bald Head, East Beach and Fort Fisher to a point near Fort Fisher at 33°57.4995’N-77°55.6343’W then following the shoreline of the Basin to Federal Point; then following the eastern shoreline of the Cape Fear River back to the point of beginning. II. NET RESTRICTIONS: Attendance is required for all fishing operations using gill nets. III. GENERAL INFORMATION: A. This proclamation is issued under the authority of N.C.G.S. 113.170.4; 113-170.5; 113-182; 113-221.1; 143B-289.52 and N.C. Marine Fisheries Rules 15A NCAC 3H .0103, and 3J .0103. B. It is unlawful to violate provisions of any proclamation issued by the Fisheries Director under his delegated authority pursuant to N.C. Marine Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 3H .0103. C. The intent of this proclamation is to implement management measures in the gill net fishery in the lower Cape Fear River to reduce interactions with threatened and endangered sea turtles during the summer months. This action is expected to provide increased levels of protection for threatened and endangered sea turtles in Cape Fear River gill net fisheries. D. “Attendance” is defined in N.C. Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 3I.0101(2)(b). E. The prohibited area for the Sunny Point Military Ocean Terminal described in 15 NCAC 03R .0102 (8) (a) is closed to all commercial fishing activities. F. This proclamation supersedes Proclamation M-12-2009 dated May 19, 2009 and expands the gill net attendance area in the Cape Fear River north to Snows Cut.
August 19, 2009 |