THE MFC ADVISOR
Marine Fisheries
Commission Business Meeting
Atlantic Beach,
North Carolina
Aug. 30 - 31, 2005
The Marine Fisheries Commission and the Division of Marine Fisheries continue to look for ways to keep committee advisors and the public informed about commission activities. It is our intent to publish the MFC Advisor after each business meeting, summarizing the meeting, and providing a list of motions and rulemaking proceedings. Hopefully, this bulletin will keep you better informed about commission activities. Your comments regarding this update are always appreciated – please contact Nancy Fish by e-mail at nancy.fish@ncmail.net or by phone at 252-726-7021 or 1-800-682-2632.
The MFC held a business meeting Aug. 30-31 at the Sheraton in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina. The business meeting was called to order followed by an invocation. The following members were in attendance: Jimmy Johnson – Chairman, Charlie Adams, David Beresoff, Dr. B.J. Copeland, Mac Currin, Dr. Barbara Garrity-Blake, Bryan Gillikin, Rusty Russ and Bradley Styron.
Chairman Johnson announced the tentative 2006 MFC business meeting schedule:
Feb. 1-3 Northeast
April 26-28 Southeast
June 26-28 Inland
Sept. 27-29 Central/Morehead City area
Nov. 29-Dec.1 Hatteras area
Dr. B. J. Copeland was elected vice-chairman of the MFC.
Dr. Jud Kenworthy of NOAA was named to the Strategic Habitat Area Advisory Committee.
Approve minutes from the June MFC meetings as amended – motion passed unanimously.
MFC legal counsel advised the commission they were not
consistent with their fishery management plan guidelines by not adopting
nighttime attendance for recreational
large mesh gill nets (5 ½ inches or larger stretched mesh) south and west of
the Emerald Isle Bridge (Hwy. 58) in internal and ocean waters. This attendance
requirement was part the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan
recommendations, which had been adopted earlier by the MFC. A motion was made to reverse the
MFC’s previous ruling and require nighttime attendance for recreational large mesh gill nets (5 ½ inches
or larger stretched mesh) south and west of the Emerald Isle Bridge (Hwy. 58)
in internal and ocean waters – motion passed 5 to 4. (should be effective
11/1/05)
Preferred
Management Options for the Draft Shrimp Fishery Management Plan
The draft Shrimp FMP, which can be found at: http://www.ncdmf.net/fmps/index.html , lists management recommendations from the FMP advisory committee (AC) and the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF). Sometime the recommendations are the same from both groups and sometime they differ.
Adopt research AC/DMF recommendations listed in the FMP - motion passed unanimously.
Adopt management
AC/DMF recommendations for habitat protection – motion passed unanimously.
Implement a
recreational 48 qt. cooler possession limit (heads on) for individual RCGL
shrimpers, with a limit of two possession limits per vessel – motion passed
unanimously.
Allow skimmer trawls,
with a headrope less than 26 feet, to be used as RCGL gear – motion passed.
Allow the use of
channel net sets upstream of the Hwy. 172 bridge over the New River, and
between the ICW Marker #49 and the Hwy. 50 swing bridge in Surf City, when
these waters are open to mobile gear – motion passed unanimously.
From the New River
Inlet to the ICW, prohibit any portion of a channel net to be set in the marked
navigation channel– motion passed.
In all internal
waters, Limit the length of headropes to 90 feet in all inshore waters, except
the Pamlico Sound, and portions of the Neuse, Pamlico and Pungo rivers – motion
passed unanimously.
In the New River
above Hwy. 172 Bridge, require a 4-year phase out of otter trawls– motion
passed.
In Chadwick Bay,
continue ongoing management measures and initiate sampling to investigate if
Chadwick Bay should be classified as a Special Secondary Nursery Area – motion
passed unanimously.
From the New River
to Rich’s Inlet, continue ongoing management measures– motion passed
unanimously.
From Rich’s Inlet to
Carolina Beach, close ICW to trawling from Marker # 105 to Wrightsville Beach
Drawbridge and manage trawling in the IWC from Marker #139 to Marker # 146 as a
Special Secondary Nursery Area, which would prohibit shrimp trawling, except
that the DMF director could issue a proclamation opening the area between Aug.
16 – May 14 of each year – motion passed unanimously.
In the Cape Fear
River complex, maintain ongoing management measures, except for establishing
no-trawl areas in the bays south of Fort Fisher and the Baldhead creeks –
motion passed.
In Brunswick County
coastal waters, maintain ongoing management measures - motion passed 4 – 3.
In the White Oak
River, maintain ongoing management measures, except to prohibit shrimp trawling
upstream of the Hancock Point area – motion passed unanimously.
In Bogue Sound,
maintain ongoing management measures – motion passed unanimously.
In Newport River,
prohibit shrimp trawling upstream of Penn Point – Hardesty Farms – motion
passed unanimously, with one abstention.
In North River,
maintain ongoing management measures – motion passed.
In Core Sound,
prohibit shrimp trawling from the banks side north of Drum Inlet to Wainwright
Island – motion passed unanimously.
In Neuse River,
maintain ongoing management measures, except to prohibit shrimp trawling
upstream of Wilkinson Point to Cherry Point, restrict total headrope length to
90 feet upstream of Windmill Point at Oriental to Winthrop Point at Adams
Creek, close downstream of Windmill Point at Oriental to Winthrop Point at
Adams Creek when shrimp migrate out–
motion passed.
In Bay River,
maintain ongoing management measures, except to restrict total headrope length
to 90 feet upstream of Maw Point and Bay River Point and close when shrimp
migrate out of the area – motion passed unanimously.
In Pamlico River,
maintain ongoing management measures, except to restrict total headrope length
to 90 feet, prohibit trawling upstream of Wades Point and Goose Creek, and
close when shrimp migrate out of the area – motion passed.
In the Pungo River,
maintain ongoing management measures, except to prohibit shrimp trawling
upstream of Wades Point and Abels Bay and close when shrimp migrate out of the
area - motion passed.
In Pamlico Sound,
maintain ongoing management measures -
motion passed unanimously.
In the Croatan and
Roanoke sounds, maintain ongoing management measures – motion passed
unanimously.
In the Atlantic
Ocean, maintain ongoing management measures – motion passed.
Forward preferred
management options for the draft Shrimp Fishery Management Plan to the
Secretary of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources for
review and comment – motion passed unanimously.
Hold a joint meeting
as soon as possible with the MFC, the River Herring AC and the Wildlife
Resources Commission to discuss the latest river herring stock assessment –
motion passed unanimously.
Maintain 1536
licenses in the License Eligibility Pool for 2005/2006 license year – motion
passed unanimously.
MFC Chairman should send a letter from the MFC to the National Marine Fisheries Service supporting the proposed allocation of bluefin tuna to the December – January subperiod – motion passed unanimously.
Upcoming MFC Meetings
2005:
Nov. 17-18 Ocracoke
2006 Tentative:
Feb. 1-3 Northeast
April 26-28 Southeast
June 26-28 Inland
Sept. 27-29 Central/Morehead City area
Nov. 29-Dec.1 Hatteras area