Release: Immediate Contact: Nancy Fish, Marine Fisheries
Date: Dec. 21, 2005 Phone: (252) 726-7021

MARINE PATROL CUTS SHORT ILLEGAL ACTIVITY

MOREHEAD CITY – Fishermen from Carteret and Pamlico counties have been charged with illegally harvesting fish and shellfish.

On December 7, the North Carolina Marine Patrol charged Rodney Salter, 34, Ron Sparks, 35, and Bobby Martin, Jr., 47, of Carteret County with illegally harvesting striped bass near Drum Inlet. Fifteen striped bass were seized totaling 431 pounds. In addition, the Marine Patrol seized 400 yards of nine-inch gill net. Warrant Officer Mark Daniels and Officer Mitch Stone both worked this case.

On December 9, Todd Gordon Popperwill, 35 and Steve Ross 22, of Pamlico County were charged with taking oysters at night, taking oysters from a closed area, possessing undersized oysters, no running lights and no shellfish license. The oysters were returned to the water and a boat and dredge were seized. Sgt. Tim Mitchell, Warrant Officer Mark Daniels and Officers Brian Spain, Burwell Syers, Bob Lyon, and Erik Smith were all involved in this case.

The public is encouraged to call and report fisheries violations to the Marine Patrol at 800-682-2632.

Release: Immediate Contact: Nancy Fish, Marine Fisheries
Date: Dec. 21, 2005 Phone: (252) 726-7021

FOUR RECORD-BREAKING FISH LANDED IN 2005
MOREHEAD CITY - It's been a year for the record books for anglers in North Carolina, with four record-breaking saltwater fish being brought to the docks.
On July 23, 2005, Derek Williams of Tampa, FL, caught a world record 21-pound, 6 ounce hogfish snapper off of Frying Pan Shoals.
Another world record was broken on April 16, 2004, when Frank Ballas of Indiana, PA hauled in a 4 pound, 5 ounce sand tilefish in the waters off of Oak Island.
Brandon Bailey of Moneta, VA, caught a 185-pound thresher shark on May 14, off of Oregon Inlet
This fall, 16-year-old Jesse Lockowitz of Carteret County broke the tarpon state record, landing a 175-pound fish at the Bogue Inlet pier.
For more information about state record fish, visit the Division of Marine Fisheries Web site at http://www.ncdmf.net/recreational/record.htm or call Partha Howell at 1-800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021.

Date: Dec. 21, 2005 Phone: (252) 726-7021
RECYCLING PROGRAM GETS EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT

MOREHEAD CITY – Two Marine Fisheries Commission members from Brunswick County, Rusty Russ and David Beresoff, are playing Santa Claus for the N.C. Oyster Shell Recycling Program.

Russ, who hails from Ocean Isle and holds a recreational seat on the commission, donated a recycling trailer to the program. He and his son will travel to Brunswick County restaurants collecting shells and taking them to a deposit site at Brunswick Community College.

Beresoff, and his wife Lisa, have placed recycling barrels in front of her seafood house in the Sunset Harbor area of Brunswick County. Folks can drop their shells off in the barrels and the shells are collected about once a week. Beresoff holds a commercial seat on the commission.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries has collection sites set up in several coastal counties to gather oyster shells from individuals and businesses. The division stockpiles shells and then places them overboard in selected areas to grow more oysters.

Oysters begin life as free-floating organisms, but quickly settle to the bottom attaching to hard surfaces. They grow on pilings and concrete, but their favorite, most productive place to grow is on other oyster shells.

The more places we create for oysters to grow, the more oysters we will have. Since oysters also help clean water, more oysters mean cleaner water.

Collection sites are located in Brunswick, Carteret, Edgecombe, Hyde, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pitt and Wilson counties. Visit http://www.ncdmf.net/shellfish/recycle1.htm to learn more about the program and view collection locations. The DMF will also provide a collection trailer at large oyster roasts.

For more information about recycling shells, please contact Craig Hardy at craig.hardy@ncmail.net or by calling 800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021. For information about the Marine Fisheries Commission, visit http://www.ncdmf.net/mfc/index.html .

Click on images below for higher resolution versions.

DMF employee Stephen Taylor (left) thanks MFC Commissioner Rusty Russ (right) for the new oyster shell recycling trailer.

Oyster shell recycling barrels in front of David and Lisa Beresoff's seafood house in Sunset Harbor.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                         PRESS CONTACT:  Tina Berger         
December 2, 2005                                                                                                                         (202) 289-6400

American Eel Draft Addendum I Available for Public Comment
States Schedule Hearings for January

Washington, DC – The Commission’s American Eel Management Board has approved the Draft Addendum I to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Eel for public review and comment. The Draft Addendum proposes the establishment of a mandatory trip-level catch and effort monitoring program for American eel in order to collect much needed data on this species. Specific options include an eel harvester license/permit by state, which may include those who harvest eels for use as bait, and an eel dealer license/permit, including bait dealers.

The Draft Addendum responds to concerns regarding the lack of accurate catch and effort data and the critical need for these data for stock assessment purposes.  Current stock status for American eel is poorly understood due in part to limited and inconsistent harvest data. The Commission has prepared an American eel stock assessment for independent peer review in December 2005. The results of the stock assessment and peer review will be presented to the Commission’s American Eel Management Board in February 2006.

Atlantic coastal states from Maine through Florida will be holding hearings on the Draft Addendum throughout January. The specific details follow: