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Contact: Patricia Smith PUBLIC MEETING SCHEDULED ON MONKFISH LARGE MESH GILL NET PERMIT MOREHEAD CITY – The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a public meeting to discuss the Monkfish Large Mesh Gill Net permit on Thursday, Feb. 28 from 7-9 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Roanoke Island Festival Park in Manteo, NC. The purpose of the meeting is to educate local fishermen on the requirements and conditions of participating in a gill net fishery for monkfish. The fishery is scheduled to open on March 16, and will close no later than April 14. The fishery is limited to waters within three miles of the beach from the North Carolina/Virginia state line to Wimble Shoals, located offshore of Avon, NC. The permit serves to reduce the threat of gill net interaction with marine mammals or sea turtles, while the traditional monkfish fishery continues in North Carolina. The season will close by proclamation if sea surface temperatures exceed 11 degrees Celsius, or approximately 52 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature at which sea turtles become more active. The season will also close if interactions with marine mammals or sea turtles occur. For more information, please contact Red Munden at (800) 682-2632 or (252) 808-8009. |