WEEKLY UPDATE: 03/07/008
NORTH CAROLINA FISHERIES ASSOCIATION
“Serving Commercial Fishing Families of North Carolina”
Allocation is key…all fisheries will be affected by the allocation debate/war that is currently underway. It is very important for all of us in the industry to realize the allocation issues are NOT South Atlantic issues; it is an issue for every fishery. The strategy, exemplified by the actions/leadership of the SAFMC, is to allocate quotas prior to putting recreational accountability measures in place as required by law. Effort in the commercial sector is down because of regulations, recreational effort is up (we are told) because of changing demographics. The task is to allocate ignoring historical, pre-regulatory quotas and allocate based on future looking demographics, which are caused in large part by the regulations coming from the very folks wanting to allocate. The inmates are running the asylum.
Summer Flounder:
2008 NC Atlantic Ocean Summer Flounder Quota: 2,558,524 pounds
Cumulative Harvest for 2008 winter fishery: - 1,806,963 pounds
2008 winter fishery summer flounder quota remaining: 239,856 pounds
PROCLAMATION
RE: FLOUNDER – COMMERCIAL PURPOSES, INTERNAL WATERS
Effective at 1:00 P.M., Saturday, March 15, 2008, the following restrictions will apply to the taking of flounder for commercial fishing operations: I. MINIMUM SIZE LIMIT It is unlawful to possess flounder less than 14 inches total length taken from internal fishing waters as part of a commercial fishing operation. II. 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; 3I .0102, 3M .0503 and 3M .0512. 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. The intent of this proclamation is to maintain North Carolina’s compliance with the requirements of the joint Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council – Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Summer Flounder Fisheries Management Plan under the authority of N.C. Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 3M .0512. The effect of this proclamation is to set the size limit of 14 inches for flounder taken by commercial fishing operations in internal fishing waters. D. N.C. Marine Fisheries Rule 3M .0503 states that it is unlawful to possess flounder less than 14 inches total length taken from the Atlantic Ocean in a commercial fishing operation. http://www.ncfisheries.net/procs/procs2k8/FF-32-2008.html
RE: GILL NETS – MONKFISH IN ATLANTIC OCEAN
Effective at 12:01 A.M., Sunday, March 16, 2008 the following provisions shall apply to the use of commercial large mesh gill nets in the Atlantic Ocean monkfish fishery:
AREA DESCRIPTION: The Atlantic Ocean in a one mile wide area extending from two miles seaward of the coastline to three miles seaward of the coastline from the North Carolina/Virginia state line southward to Wimble Shoal (Latitude 35° 30’N). In the area of Oregon Inlet, the COLREGS line shall be considered the coastline. COMMERCIAL NET AND SEASON CLOSURE RESTRICTIONS: A. the Atlantic Ocean is closed to the use of gill nets greater than seven (7) inches stretched mesh by Proclamation M-1-2008, dated January 10, 2008 from January 14, 2008 through April 14, 2008 with the exception of the monkfish and striped bass fisheries.
B. Only individuals that possess a 2008 Monkfish Large Mesh Gill Net Permit required by Proclamation FF-31-2008, dated March 11, 2008 are authorized to fish gill nets with a stretched mesh size greater than seven (7) inches in the area described above. C. Large mesh gill nets set shall be fished at least once every 48 hours, weather permitting. http://www.ncfisheries.net/procs/procs2k8/M-7-2008.html
RE: SCUP
Effective at 12:01 A.M., Sunday, March 16, 2008, the following restrictions will apply to the commercial scup fishery in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cape Hatteras (35° 15' N. Latitude):
I. SIZE AND HARVEST LIMITS No person may take, possess, buy, sell or offer for sale scup less than 9 inches in length. No commercial fishing operation, regardless of the number of people involved, may possess, sell or offer for sale more than 1,000 pounds of scup per day during the period ending at 6:00 P.M. Monday, March 31, 2008. II. TRAWL MESH REQUIREMENTS
The minimum mesh size for the commercial scup fishery will be 5 inches stretched mesh with a minimum length of 75 meshes from the terminus of the net. For small nets with less than 75 mesh codends, the entire net will consist of 5 inch mesh. http://www.ncfisheries.net/procs/procs2k8/FF-34-2008.html
RE: BLACK SEA BASS – COMMERCIAL FISHING OPERATIONS – ATLANTIC OCEAN
Dr. Louis B. Daniel III, Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 12:01 A.M., Sunday, March 16, 2008, the following restrictions shall apply to the commercial black sea bass fishery north of Cape Hatteras (35° 15.3’N. Latitude): SIZE LIMIT It is unlawful to possess black sea bass less than 11 inches total length north of Cape Hatteras. Total length shall be measured along the lateral midline from the tip of the nose to the tip tail, excluding the caudal fin filament.
HARVEST LIMITS During the period beginning at 12:01 A.M., Sunday, March 16, 2008 and ending at 6:00 P.M., Monday, March 31, 2008, no commercial trawl, fish pot or hook and line fishing operation, regardless of the number of people involved, may have total landings of more than 5,000 pounds of black sea bass taken from the Atlantic Ocean north of Cape Hatteras. The Atlantic Ocean black sea bass fishery will close immediately after the Director issues a public notice that the quota of black sea bass has been landed from the Atlantic Ocean north of Cape Hatteras, or at 6:00 P.M., March 31, 2008, whichever occurs first. http://www.ncfisheries.net/procs/procs2k8/FF-33-2008.html
MEETINGS:
May 15, 2008 7 p.m.
NCMFC Public Hearings on rules to implement Oyster, Clam, Kingfish, and Interjurisdictional FMPs
Center for Marine Sciences & Technology, 303 College Cir., Rm. 306, Morehead City, NC
Contact Nancy Fish 800-682-2632 or 252-808-8021 or MFC Office 252-808-8022
Fisheries Forum (NC Sea Grant, NCMFC, NCDMF)
Riverfront Convention Center - New Bern, NC
Contact Katie Mosher 919-515-9069 or Heather Ward 919-515-1092
March 19, 2008 10 a.m.
License Eligibility Board for N.C. Standard Commercial Fishing License
NCDMF Office - 3441 Arendell St. - 2nd Floor Conference Room - Morehead City, NC
Contact Cristy Giddens 910-796-7261
