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| BLACK SEA BASS - COMMERCIAL FISHING OPERATIONS - ATLANTIC OCEAN
| |  | Posted on Friday, December 19, 2003 @ 09:35:47 EST by DAwg |  | | 
Dawg writes "FF-57-2003
PROCLAMATION
RE: BLACK SEA BASS - COMMERCIAL FISHING OPERATIONS - ATLANTIC OCEAN
Preston P. Pate, Jr., Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 12:01A.M., Thursday, January 1, 2004, the following restrictions will apply to the commercial black sea bass fishery north of Cape Hatteras (35° 15'N. Lattitude):
I. SIZE LIMIT
It is unlawful to possess black sea bass less than 11 inches total length north of Cape Hatteras .
II. TRIP LIMITS
A. During the period beginning at 12:01 A.M., Thursday, January 1, 2004 and ending at 6:00 P.M., Saturday, January 10, 2004, no commercial fishing operation, regardless of the number of people involved, may have total landings of more than 3,000 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., January 10, 2004, whichever occurs first.
B. These trip limits apply to the use of finfish trawls, fish pots and traps and hook and line operations.
C. During any closed season, vessels may land up to 100 pounds of black sea bass per trip taken from the Atlantic Ocean
III. GEAR RESTRICTIONS
A. TRAWLS:
The following gear restrictions apply when 100 or more pounds of black sea bass are possessed on board a vessel:
1. No person may use or possess on deck:
(a) Trawl nets with a cod end (tailbag) less than 4 ½ inches (hung on a diamond) applied throughout the cod end for at least 75 continuous meshes forward of the terminus (end) of the net; or
(b) Trawl nets with cod ends less than 75 meshes (including an extension) with a mesh size less than 4 ½ inches (hung on a diamond) applied throughout the net.
2. Tailbag liners of any mesh size or double hung cod ends may not be used or possessed on deck of a vessel.
3. Rollers used in roller rig or rock hopper trawl gear shall be no longer than 18 inches in diameter.
B. FISH TRAPS/POTS:
Black sea bass pots or traps must conform with the Federal rule requirements for escape vents specified in 50 CFR 648.144 (b)(2) and for degradable fasteners specified in 50 CFR 648.144 (b)(3)(i), (ii) and (iii). (See Section IV.H).
IV. PERMITS
A. Finfish dealers may not buy more than 100 pounds of black sea bass caught north of Cape Hatteras per day per commercial fishing operation unless the dealer has a valid 2004 Black Sea Bass - North of Cape Hatteras Dealer Permit from the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. Permits will be issued only to those licensed fish dealers holding a valid license as authorised in G.S. 113-169.3 Dealers must abide by all conditions of the 2004 Black Sea Bass-North of Cape Hatteras Dealer Permit as set out in Proclamation FF-43-2003, dated November 10, 2003.
B. Dealers possessing a 2004 Black Sea Bass - North of Cape Hatteras Dealer Permit shall report daily by noon through FAX transmittal (252-726-3903) to the Division of Marine Fisheries flounder landings from the Atlantic Ocean for the previous day.
V. GENERAL INFORMATION
A. This proclamation is issued under the authority of G.S. 113-134; 113- 170.4; 113-170.5; 113-181; 113-182; 113-221(e); 143B-289.52 and NC Marine Fisheries Rules 15A NCAC 3M .0503, 3M .0506 and .0512 and 3O. 0500.
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 landing prohibition beginning at 6:00 P.M. on January 10, 2004 will allow the Division to review landing reports. Landings will be allowed by proclamation after that date if the 2004 annual quota has not been met.
D. For the purposes of this proclamation, fish shall be considered landed when fish are unloaded or the vessel is tied to the dock, whichever occurs first.
E. Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 3I .0113 specifies that it is unlawful for any licensee under Chapter 113, Subchapter IV of the General Statutes to refuse to allow the Fisheries Director or his agents to obtain biological data, harvest information, or other statistical data necessary or useful to the conservation and management of marine and estuarine resources from fish in the licensees possession.
F. Federal regulations for Fisheries of the Northeastern United States specify in 50 CFR Part 648.4(a)(7) that "any vessel of the United States that fishes for or retains black sea bass in or from the EEZ north of 3515.3' N. lat., the latitude of Cape Hatteras Light, NC, must have been issued and carry on board a valid black sea bass moratorium permit, except for vessels other than party or charter vessels that observe the possession limit established pursuant to §648.145."
G. The intent of this proclamation is to allow North Carolina to comply with the requirements of the joint Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) and to manage the commercial black sea bass fishery under the state quota system established by the FMP. North Carolina is operating under a statewide quota and these trip limits and harvest periods are intended to constrain the harvest to the quota.
H. The minimum size limit for black sea bass south of Cape Hatteras remains 10 inches in total length.
I. Copies of escape vent specifications for black sea bass pots north of Cape Hatteras are available via the Federal Register posted on the Internet at www.nero.nmfs.gov/ro/doc/the648.htm and from the Division of Marine Fisheries, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, NC 28557.
This proclamation supersedes Proclamation FF-22-2003, dated March 7, 2003.
"
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