 |
|||
 |
|||
| DMF Home | About DMF | Contact DMF | DMF Offices |
 | |||
MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION TO MEET APRIL 23 - 24
MOREHEAD CITY -- The Marine Fisheries Commission will hold a business meeting April 23 & 24 at the Senator Bob Martin Eastern Agricultural Center in Williamston.
The meeting is open to the public.
A public hearing and meeting will also be held at 7 p.m. on April 22 at the same location. At the hearing, the MFC will receive public comment on the following proposed rules:
· Change to the recreational bag limit for bluefish to allow retention of up to 15 bluefish, with only five bluefish larger than 24 inches;
· Implement rules for fyke and hoop nets;
· Implement recommendations in the Oyster and Clam Fisheries Management Plans, which includes new permitting requirements and new standards for shellfish bottom leases;
· Amend rules so that the 10-inch size limit (commercial and recreational) for black sea bass applies only south of Cape Hatteras. The minimum size limit for black sea bass north of Cape Hatteras has been established through proclamation authority; and
· Make technical corrections.
For more information, contact Jess Hawkins by e-mail at Jess.Hawkins@ncmail.net or by calling 1-800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021.
COMMERCIAL FISHING LICENSE RENEWALS ARE IN THE MAIL
MOREHEAD CITY - Commercial fishermen should be on the lookout for their fishing license renewal applications arriving via the U.S. Postal Service - this year the process is easier than ever.
The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (NCDMF) has mailed approximately 9,000 applications for the 2002/2003 commercial fishing year, which begins July 1, 2002. The applications are already filled out, so fishermen just have to review them, make needed corrections or updates, and return the forms and the payment by mail or in person to the NCDMF.
License holders are encouraged to take advantage of the mail-in renewal process because it saves the fisherman valuable time. Last year, 15 percent of commercial license holders took advantage of the mail-in system and avoided having to wait in line at NCDMF offices.
Beginning May 1, NCDMF license offices will also begin processing walk-in renewals at all six of their offices along the coast. Fishermen are reminded to bring in current licenses and photo identification for walk-in renewals.
Even though renewals can be processed earlier, 2002/2003 licenses are not valid until July 1, 2002. If fishermen renew their licenses through the mail by June 15, they should receive their new licenses prior to July 1.
The Recreational Commercial Gear License (RCGL) expires one year from the date of purchase. RCGL licenses can be renewed through any NCDMF license office or by visiting an authorized Wildlife Resources Commission license agent.
For more information about NCDMF licenses, please call 252-726-7021 or 1-888-254-2024 (toll free).
MARINE FISHERIES SURVEYS RECREATIONAL COMMERCIAL GEAR USERS
WASHINGTON - Recreational fishermen licensed to use commercial gear in North Carolina's coastal and ocean waters are being mailed surveys, which will assist managers in understanding the impact these license holders have on our fisheries resources.
During 2001, there were approximately 9,000 Recreational Commercial Gear License (RCGL) holders eligible to use a variety of different types of commercial fishing gears, including gill nets, crab pots, small trawls, trotlines and seines. The Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) is trying to gather information on the type and amount of gear these fishermen are using and their catch rate and composition. This type of data is already gathered in varying degrees from commercial and recreational hook-and-line fishermen, but it is lacking from the RCGL community. With this much-needed data in hand, managers will be able to make more informed fishery management decisions.
In 1999, the DMF began issuing the RCGL, which allows recreational fishermen to use limited amounts of commercial gear to harvest seafood for their personal consumption.
For more information, please contact Chris Wilson by email at Chris.Wilson@ncmail.net or by calling 252-946-6481 or 1-800-338-7804 (toll free).
Public Information Document for Amendment 4 to the Weakfish Plan Now
Available for Public Comment
PUBLIC HEARINGS TO BE HELD IN NC IN APRIL
Washington D.C. - The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has scheduled meetings along the east coast to gather public comment and input on the recently released Public Information Document (PID) for Amendment 4 to the Weakfish Fishery Management Plan.
The commission will hold a meeting in Wilmington on April 16 at 7 p.m. at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' office located at 127 Cardinal Drive. Meetings are also scheduled April 9 in Morehead City and April 10 in Manteo.
The contact for these meetings is Dr. Louis Daniel, N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, at (252) 726-7021.
The Weakfish PID outlines six issues the Commission is seeking input on from the public. These issues include reference points, bycatch, reference periods, creel limits, age/size structure, and data collection. The Public Information Document also provides an overview of the management history of weakfish at the Commission, information on the recreational and commercial fisheries, as well as an update of the most recent stock assessment.
The most recent stock assessment update indicates that the management measures put in place in Amendment 3 have resulted in positive trends for the weakfish population, with models indicating fishing mortality has significantly declined from levels that existed when Amendment 3 was adopted. The absolute magnitude of impact should be viewed with caution given the uncertainty of the fishing mortality and spawning stock biomass estimates for the most recent year of the assessment, which is often the case with these final year estimates.
The PID can be obtained by contacting the Commission office at (202) 289-6400 or via the Commission's website at