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REPORT CARD RELEASED ON HEALTH OF FISHERIES
Stocks Continue to Improve
MOREHEAD CITY - North Carolina's coastal and ocean fisheries continue to show signs of progress as two more stocks, Atlantic croaker and monkfish, are upgraded by the state Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF).
Atlantic croaker, a fish popular with both recreational and commercial fishermen, was moved from the concerned to the viable category; while monkfish, a commercially-harvested ocean fish, advanced from the overfished to the recovering designation. There were no other changes in the report.
"We are making great progress towards our long-term goal of having all of the state's major species in the viable or recovering categories within the next decade," said Dr. Louis Daniel, DMF scientist in charge of the state's annual stock status report. "Eighteen out of 40 stocks, or 45 percent, are already in these classifications and we are on track to move several more overfished stocks into the recovering or viable categories in the next few years," said Daniel.
The DMF's annual stock status report evaluates the health of N.C.'s important coastal fisheries, spotlighting successes, as well as areas of concern. Of the 40 stocks listed, 18 fall into the viable and recovering categories, eight are listed as concerned, eight are listed as overfished, and six are listed as unknown. The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission uses this report to decide priority development of the state's FMPs.
To determine the status of N.C. fisheries, the DMF collects data and analyzes long-term trends in the length, weight, age, catch, and fishing effort for each stock. For many stocks it is also possible to evaluate 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.
Fish and shellfish stocks considered viable are Atlantic croaker, black sea bass north of Cape Hatteras, striped bass in the Albemarle Sound and the ocean, dolphin/wahoo, summer flounder, gag, king and Spanish mackerel, Atlantic menhaden, spot, spotted seatrout (speckled trout), shrimp and weakfish.
Recovering stocks include bluefish, monkfish, red drum and scup.
Stocks listed as concerned include striped mullet, white and yellow perch, reef fish, American shad, bay scallops, oysters and blue crabs. MO< Black sea bass south of Cape Hatteras, striped bass (in waters other than the ocean, Albemarle and Roanoke sounds), southern flounder, river herring in the Albemarle Sound, sharks, spiny 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.
NEW FISHERIES RULES GO INTO EFFECT AUG. 1
MOREHEAD CITY - Fishermen should note that on Aug. 1 several new rules will go into effect in North Carolina coastal waters, including:
Please contact Jess Hawkins for additional information by e-mail at jess.hawkins@ncmail.net or by calling 252-726-7021 or 800-682-2632.
MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION TO MEET JULY 19-21
MOREHEAD CITY -- The Marine Fisheries Commission will meet July 19-21 at the Quality Inn, 701 North Marine Blvd., in Jacksonville.
The meeting is open to the public.
On July 19, a public meeting will be held at beginning at 7 p.m. to review draft recommendations for the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan.
Please be sure to visit http://www.ncdmf.net/mfc/advisor.html to review summaries of past commission meetings.
PUBLIC MEETINGS SET TO DISCUSS COASTAL HABITAT PROTECTION PLAN
RALEIGH - Improved enforcement of environmental rules, larger buffers and setbacks along waterways, and comprehensive state plans to direct beach re-nourishment projects and marina construction are some of the steps proposed to restore declining habitats and protect the critical areas along the North Carolina coast where fish feed, spawn and grow.
These are all recommendations being previewed at a series of meetings the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources is holding to gather public input on the final stages of the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan - a plan to protect important coastal fish habitats. The 600-page document, five years in the making, is a joint effort between numerous state agencies, including the Marine Fisheries, Coastal Resources and Environmental Management commissions and their associated divisions. The plan is slated for completion in December 2004.
Scientists and experts who drafted the CHPP outlined hundreds of steps that should be taken to protect and enhance essential fish habitats, which have been compiled under four general goals:
Some of the recommendations to reach these goals, including marina and beach plans, would require new rules. The plans are needed, the CHPP notes, to prevent the bacterial contamination of shellfish waters and to prevent beach re-nourishment's potentially adverse effects on fish habitat. Other recommendations, such as better coordination among state agencies for enforcing environmental rules, could be done under existing regulatory authority.
"Last spring, Governor Mike Easley encouraged North Carolinians to get involved in this plan designed to protect those special places along our coast that are critical to the survival of our marine fisheries," DENR Secretary Bill Ross said. "More than 500 people attended public meetings to share ideas on how to protect these resources. Now, we want to hear from the public again. At meetings this summer, people will have a chance to tell us what they think about the draft recommendations. We need and encourage people to express their views, comments, ideas and questions."
The department will take those ideas and fashion the final plan, which will then go before three of North Carolina's environmental regulatory commissions (Environmental Management, Coastal Resources, Marine Fisheries Commissions) for adoption later this year, Ross said.
Visit http://www.ncdmf.net/habitat/index.html to learn more about the CHPP or to download a copy of the plan, or call the Division of Marine Fisheries at 252-726-7021 or 800-682-2632.