Marine Fisheries
Commission Business Meeting
Atlantic Beach,
North Carolina
October 4 – 5,
2001
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, actions, 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 Marine Fisheries Commission held a business meeting on Oct. 4 – 5 at the Best Western Resort in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina. The meeting opened with an invocation and roll call. Members in attendance: Jimmy Johnson, Chairman; Norm Bradford, Mac Currin, Robert Southerland, Rusty Russ, Dr. B.J. Copeland, Bryan Gillikin and Dr. Barbara Garrity-Blake.
Motion:
A motion was made to accept the minutes from the last meeting – motion passed.
No one wished to speak during the Public Comment Period.
Commissioner Bradford requested legal counsel to provide advice on the roles of the MFC and the governor’s appointees to regional councils.
Commissioner Currin discussed the user conflict in the commercial striped bass fishery and it was decided the Finfish Committee should revisit the issue.
Commissioners Currin and Bradford discussed the conflict with commercial fishermen and surf anglers in the Hatteras Island area. The Northeast Advisory Committee was asked to provide advice on the issue but has been unable to find fishermen to come to the meetings to comment on the problems.
Commissioner Southerland discussed the need for MFC members to have the ability to travel to meetings all over the coast rather than just attend meetings in their area. Chairman Johnson indicated that MFC members just had to let him know if they felt they needed to attend advisory meetings. He said to let him know if there is a meeting a MFC member needs to go to a meeting to let him know.
Commissioner Southerland discussed the need to hold workshops on fisheries management models. Several other MFC members had ideas on workshop topics. The chairman asked that all MFC members forward ideas to him and he would get the process started.
Commissioner Currin discussed the need to only change the recreational size and bag limits once a year, in order to be able to better educate the public about fishing restrictions.
Advisor Appointments – The announcement for Striped Bass FMP advisors is being readvertised because there were not enough applicants to fill both committees.
MFC/WRC Meeting – On Sept. 21, a joint meeting was held with the Wildlife Resources Commission regarding management of striped bass. The group agreed to ask ASMFC to keep the quota at 450,000 lbs. because the stock assessment showed an increase would be ill advised at this time. The latitude and longitude lines for inland and joint waters were also discussed, as well as efforts to restore American Shad. The WRC representatives agreed to ask the full WRC to make the inland limit for red drum limit consistent with the MFC’s limit.
Election of Vice Chairman – The MFC decided to postpone the election of the vice chair until the next business meeting in hopes that the governor will have made the new MFC appointments.
Motion:
Motion was made to postpone election until the MFC business meeting in December – motion passed unanimously.
New York Weakfish Letter - MFC has received a letter from Gordon Colvin from New York, that they will continue not to allow our legal weakfish into their markets. Assistant Attorney General George Hurst is researching the issue to see if New York is restricting interstate commerce.
Reports were given on all the various MFC Advisory and FMP committee activities.
The MFC agreed with the Shellfish Committee that the moratorium on shellfish leases should be attempted to be resolved this year.
Motions:
A motion was made to write a letter to NMFS, the NC Congressional Delegation and the ASMFC, asking for legal and policy analysis on opening the striped bass fishery out to 200 miles – passed unanimously.
Motion was made to send a letter to Doug Huggett with Division of Coastal Management asking the Perquimans River permit be denied and recommending DOT build a boardwalk along the Perquimans River rather than a project that would be destructive to wetlands - passed unanimously.
Fisheries Resource Grant Presentation – Teresa Thorpe gave a report on Gill Net Bycatch Potential, Discard Mortality, and Condition of Red Drum in Southeastern NC.
Recreational Commercial Gill Net Attendance
A lengthy discussion was held on the proposal to rule to require attendance of recreational gill nets with a mesh size larger than five inches at all times, from Hwy. 70 Drawbridge, including the Newport River and its tributaries, to the South Carolina line. While the information presented from GoFishNC showed that there was a higher percentage of RCGL holders in the southern portion of the state, it did not appear that there was extensive use of large-meshed recreational gill nets in the Thorpe report study areas.
Motion:
Motion was made to pass rule to implement GoFishNC petition, which would require attendance of recreational gill net with a mesh size larger than five inches at all times in the southern portion of the state. A substitute motion was made to table the issue until further information was available and that motion failed. Then the original motion was defeated.
Flounder Gill Net Fishery in Pamlico Sound – Shallow-water gill net fishery for both large and small mesh gill net is underway in areas directly behind Hatteras, Ocracoke and Portsmouth islands, NMFS has closed the rest of the sound to large-meshed gill nets. There have been four observed turtle interactions so far: one dead green, two live greens and one live hawksbill. All the interactions were just south of Oregon Inlet so DMF closed the shallow-water area from Rodanthe to Oregon Inlet. Cool weather should move the turtles out of the sound soon. It is anticipated the NMFS closure of Pamlico Sound to large-meshed gill nets will be a standard practice in future years and will probably extend to other areas.
Flounder Pound Net Permits – There has been an increase in number of applications for pound net sets, due primarily to the severe restrictions on gill net fishery in Pamlico Sound. While this has not presented a management problem at this time, there is the potential for conflict. The Southern Flounder FMP has discussed requiring a 1000 yard separation between new pounds nets – this is the offset recommended so that pound nets do not detract from one another. The DMF will begin requiring the 1000 yard separation on pound nets through the permit requirements in current rule.
Dr. Pete Peterson, UNC Institute of Marine Science gave a presentation on his Non-Native Oyster Research.
Interjurisdictional Fishery Management Plan – This FMP encompasses migratory fisheries covered under federal and regional councils and the ASMFC. The Finfish Committee was the advisory panel for this plan.
Motion:
Motion made to approve the draft Interjurisdictional FMP and forward to DENR Secretary – motion passed unanimously.
DMF Director Pres Pate reviewed the following topics during the Director’s Report:
Rule Suspension for Commercial Minimum Size Limit for King Mackerel – earlier this year, the DMF Director changed the commercial limit from 20 inches to 24 inches by suspending the rule and implementing a new size limit by proclamation. The rule needs to be resuspended at each subsequent MFC meeting until a permanent rule change becomes effective.
Motion:
Motion was made to resuspend the rule and continue the commercial size limit for king mackerel at 24 inches – motion passed unanimously.
Striped Bass – the DMF did not ask for quota increase based on stock assessment. The recreational fishery in the Albemarle Sound Management Area will open on Oct. 17 with two fish per day/ four days a week. The commercial season will be announced at a later date.
Atlantic Beach Gill Net Proclamation – The proclamation was issued setting up gill net restrictions around fishing piers in Atlantic Beach. Things seem to be going well so far and there have not have had any reports of conflict.
Legislative Update - There is a meeting scheduled to discuss the creation of a Saltwater Fishing License in the House Finance Committee.
Updates were given of the activities of the following groups:
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
Meeting Adjourned
2001 Meeting Schedule:
Dec. 4 & 5 – Business Meeting - Kill Devil Hills