SHELLFISH POLLUTED AREA
Preston P. Pate, Jr., Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, upon the recommendation of Leah Devlin, D.D.S., M.P.H., State Health Director, Department of Health and Human Services, hereby announces that the following changes in shellfish harvesting areas will take effect at sunrise, Thursday, December 29, 2005.
All those waters in Carteret and Onslow Counties will return to the status in existence immediately prior to the October 7, December 16 and 18, 2005 temporary closures with the following exceptions which will remain closed:
No person shall take or attempt to take any oysters, clams or mussels or possess, sell or offer for sale any oysters, clams or mussels taken from the following polluted areas:
CARTERET AND ONSLOW COUNTIES
Sleepy Creek - All those waters in Sleepy Creek upstream of a straight line across the mouth.
North River - All those waters in North River upstream of a line across the River beginning at the Oyster House on the west shore; thence in a straight line to the north shore of the mouth of Ward Creek.
Ward Creek - west of a line beginning on the north shore at a point 34° 46.2667’ N – 76° 35.4933 W; running southerly to the south shore to a point 34° 45 .4517’ N – 76° 35.1767’ W. (Ward Creek Shrimp Line)
Newport River - All those waters in Newport River upstream of a line across the river from Crab Point to the southern end of the west shore of Core Creek.
Bear Creek - All those waters in Bear Creek upstream of a straight line across the mouth.
THE FOLLOWING AREAS REMAIN TEMPORARILY CLOSED:
ONSLOW / PENDER AND BRUNSWICK COUNTIES
All those waters from the Intracoastal Waterway to the mainland between ICWW Channel Marker #17 and ICWW Channel Marker #32. This includes Alligator Bay, Goose Bay and Turkey Creek.
All those waters between Intracoastal Waterway Channel Marker #55 and ICWW Channel Marker #69 located near Holden Beach.
All those waters between Intracoastal Waterway Channel Marker #89 (near Ocean Isle Beach) and the South Carolina state line. (Temporarily closed since August 13, 2004.)
GENERAL INFORMATION:
A. This proclamation is issued under the authority of G.S. 113-170.4; 113-170.5; 113-182; 113-183; 113-221.1; 143B-289.52 and N.C. Marine Fisheries Rules 15A NCAC 3H .0103 and 3K .0101.
B. It is unlawful to violate the 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. This proclamation returns the following areas to normal closure boundaries: Whitehurst Creek, portions of Newport and North Rivers, White Oak River, Queens Creek and the ICWW in Onslow County.
D. These reopenings are due to satisfactory bacteriological sampling results.
