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STOCK STATUS RELEASED
Managers Optimistic About Health of Tar Heel Coastal Fisheries

MOREHEAD CITY - There is good news for offshore fishermen. Gag grouper has been declared viable based on the most recent National Marine Fisheries Service's stock assessment.

Gag grouper, North Carolina's most valuable commercial grouper fishery, averaged $575,254 from 1992-2001. Recreationally, more gag are caught than any other grouper species, with anglers averaging 45,522 pounds per year during the past decade. This popular reef fish, previously designated as overfished, has recovered as a result of spawning season closures and decreased bag limits and increased size limits.

"We're pleased to move another stock into the viable category and overall, very optimistic about the progress we're making in restoring North Carolina fisheries," said Dr. Louis Daniel, Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) scientist in charge of the state's stock status report. "Once again, this shows fishery management plans work. Gag grouper, striped bass, weakfish, Spanish and king mackerel, bluefish and summer flounder have recovered, or are on the road to recovery, based on the fishery management plan process at both the regional and state level," said Daniel.

Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) map out proactive long-term recovery strategies for fisheries. North Carolina is developing FMPs for all of its major fisheries.

Conversely, southern flounder, the flounder species most commonly found in Tar Heel sounds, rivers and bays, was shifted from concerned to the overfished category. A recent peer-reviewed stock assessment conducted by the state DMF, shows a 32 percent decline in the population over the past decade.

While the news is not so good for southern flounder, Daniel was not surprised by the designation. "There has been mounting concern about southern flounder for the last few years," said Daniel. "Harvest restrictions to conserve this overfished species are being proposed by the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Committee, and are scheduled for public meetings later this fall."

All other species covered in the report have remained the same.

The DMF's annual stock status report evaluates the health of North Carolina's important coastal fisheries, spotlighting successes, as well as areas of concern. Of the 40 stocks listed, 13 fall into the viable and recovering categories, 11 are listed as concerned, 10 are listed as overfished, and six are listed as unknown. The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission uses this report to decide priority development of the state's FMPs.

To determine the status of Tar Heel fisheries, the DMF collects data and analyzes long-term trends in the length, weight, age, catch, and fishing effort for each stock. It also evaluates the total weight of the fish in a stock that are old enough to spawn, the number of juvenile or immature fish, fishing mortality, natural mortality, migration, size and age at maturity, regulatory impacts and bycatch.

Several stocks were not upgraded but continue to show strong signs of improvement under the FMP process.

Strong rebuilding trends continue for summer flounder and bluefish, both of which are managed through FMPs developed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Mid Atlantic Fishery Management Council, of which North Carolina is a partner. Stock assessments and projections indicate both of the stocks should be viable in the near future.

While red drum is still listed as overfished, the stock continues to rebuild, recently producing several strong year classes. Measures implemented through the Red Drum FMP protect juveniles and adults from both commercial and recreational harvest pressure. In addition, hickory shad and continue to increase in abundance and show signs of recovery.

While many stocks show signs of improvement, there are problems with some stocks.

Blue crabs continued to be the top money crop at Tar Heel docks in 2001, even though hard crab landings were 29.9 million pounds, a decline of 8.9 million pounds from 2000 and well below the 55.1 million pound average for the previous five years. It is still unclear if the decline in crab harvest can be directly attributed to the effects of the 1999 hurricanes (Dennis, Floyd and Irene), because blue crab catches are depressed all along the east coast. Currently, the Blue Crab FMP is being reviewed to address concerns for the health of this very important fishery.

Concern still exists for striped mullet due to increased fishing pressure and depressed harvest landings. The DMF is in the early stages of FMP development for this species.

The Atlantic croaker population appears to be healthy in the ocean, but there is still concern over their abundance in the sounds and inside waters compared to historic levels. This trend has been ongoing for several years and has fisheries managers worried about the viability of the stock.

River herring show a continued decline with poor juvenile production, fewer year classes represented in the catch and decrease in the average size of the fish. In 2002, commercial fishermen harvested only 55 percent, or approximately 165,564 lbs., of the 300,000-pound annual quota. An FMP is in place for river herring, but rebuilding of this stock is anticipated to take many years.

Fish and shellfish stocks considered viable are striped bass in the Albemarle Sound and the ocean, dolphin/wahoo, gag grouper, king and Spanish mackerel, Atlantic menhaden, spot, spotted seatrout (speckled trout), shrimp and weakfish.

Recovering stocks include bluefish and summer flounder.

Stocks listed as concerned include black sea bass south of Cape Hatteras, striped bass (in waters other than the ocean, Albemarle and Roanoke sounds), Atlantic croaker, striped mullet, white and yellow perch, reef fish, American shad, bay scallops, oysters and blue crabs.

Black sea bass north of Cape Hatteras, red drum, southern flounder, river herring in the Albemarle Sound, monkfish, scup, sharks, dogfish, Atlantic sturgeon and tautog are listed as overfished. In North Carolina, all overfished stocks either have regulations in place, or proposed regulations being developed, to stop overfishing and allow the populations to rebuild. The rebuilding process can take many years, especially if it is a long-lived species like red drum. Even if a species is recovering, it stays in the overfished category until a clear and consistent recovery trend is evident and it is declared recovering or viable.

The DMF does not have sufficient data to conduct appropriate assessments on the status of some stocks. These stocks are listed as unknown and include catfishes, American eel, river herring outside of Albemarle Sound, kingfishes (sea mullet), hickory shad and hard clams. The DMF is collecting the necessary assessment information for these important fisheries and will be moving many of these stocks into the appropriate categories over the next few years.

Visit the DMF's Web site at: http://www.ncdmf.net/stocks/index.html to view the new stock status report, along with species profiles and a glossary of fisheries terms. For more information about this stock status assessment, please contact Dr. Louis Daniel, DMF - Morehead City, by e-mail at Louis.Daniel@ncmail.net or by phoning at 1-800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021.

GHOST POTS HAUNT COASTAL WATERS
Meeting set to Discuss Alternatives

MOREHEAD CITY - Ghost pots are haunting coastal waters along North Carolina's rivers, bays and sounds and the state needs your help in trying to figure out ways to deal with this controversial issue.

Ghost pots are crab pots that have been moved by storms, strong tides, or by other people, away from that place they were originally set. Pots are also lost when boat propellers cut buoy lines. If left in the water, ghost pots continue to catch crabs and other marine life, presenting a conservation problem. In 1998, it was estimated that 1.3 million crabs pots were set in Tar Heel waters and approximately 145,140 of those pots were lost. In the aftermath of Hurricane Floyd, there were 110, 247 pots reported lost.

Economically, crabbing is North Carolina's most important fishery, bringing in $25 million in 2001. Fisheries managers are looking for ways to make this important fishing gear more environmentally friendly.

The Marine Fisheries Commission's Crustacean Committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, July 22, at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Washington Regional Office, at 943 Washington Square Mall, in Washington, to discuss the ghost pot issue. Some of the options being considered to resolve this controversy are attendance periods, biodegradable panels, and clean-up weeks. The public is encouraged to attend the meeting and provide comment on ways to deal with the lost pots.

For further information contact Sean McKenna at 800-338-7804 or 252-946-6481 or Lynn Henry at 252-796-1322.

FISHERIES OFFICE RELOCATES

MOREHEAD CITY - The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries' Columbia office is relocating to 1173 Hwy. 64, on the eastern side of Columbia.

The move will take place July 8 and 9. The current office location, between Columbia and Creswell, will be demolished as part of the widening of Hwy. 64.

Fishermen who need to buy licenses on July 8 and 9, can visit the division's other offices in the area, including:

1367 Hwy. 17 South
Elizabeth City, NC 27909

Industrial Seafood Park
Wanchese, NC 27981

943 Washington Square Mall
Washington, NC 27889

For further information, please call 1-800-405-7774 or 252-796-1322.