BIG MONEY AVAILABLE FOR BOATING FACILITIES

MOREHEAD CITY - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced another round of grants to help improve docking facilities for recreational transient, non-trailerable boats along the navigable waterways of the United States for federal Fiscal Year 2007.

The grants are part of the Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) program authorized by the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Act of 1998 and funded by excise taxes on motorboat fuel.

The BIG program provides states with funding for mooring buoys, day-docks, transient slips, safe harbor facilities (including temporary safe anchorage or a harbor of refuge during a storm), floating and fixed piers and breakwaters, dinghy docks, restrooms, retaining walls, bulkheads, dockside utilities, pump out stations, trash collections and recycling facilities, dockside electric, water and telephone capabilities, navigational aids and marine fueling stations.

"This is an excellent opportunity to strengthen ties between communities and recreational boaters, and promote economic growth by providing enhanced public access," said Brian Cheuvront, the BIG coordinator for North Carolina.  "We encourage private marinas, municipalities and local governments to review the grant guidelines and criteria and take advantage of this program to improve their recreational boating facilities and boost their economy," said Cheuvront.

BIG program funds are distributed each year over a four-year period.  To ensure each state gets a share, funding is provided on a two-tiered basis.  For Tier-1 grants, all states get at least $100,000 per grant cycle as long as their proposals meet the program's guidelines.  Tier-2 projects are designated for larger, more expensive undertakings and are awarded on a nation-wide competitive basis.

BIG transient facilities must be built in waters deep enough for boats 26 feet and larger to navigate at a minimum of six feet of depth at low tide.  One-time dredging will be allowed to provide access between open water and a tie-up facility.

For information about grant availability in North Carolina's coastal waters, please contact Brian Cheuvront, N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, by mail at P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, NC  28557; by phone at 252-726-7021 or 800-682-2632; or via e-mail at Brian.Cheuvront@ncmail.net. The deadline for applications is September 29, 2006.

Announcing the Southern Flounder Aquaculture Workshop:

Workshop Information:
Southern flounder, an economically important and heavily fished species in NC, is on the verge of becoming a viable and sustainable alternative agriculture crop due to advances made in controlled spawning, larviculture and growout using recirculating systems. This workshop will be an all-inclusive and hands-on introduction to these production methods from broodstock management to fish growout and economics.

 Date:  November 2-3, 2006 (next scheduled March 2007, to be announced)

Location:  Raleigh, NC at the Historic Yates Mill County Park and Lake Wheeler Field Laboratories Aquaculture Facilities

Time:  9am-5pm both days

Registration cost:  $275 (NC residents, $350 non-residents).  Pre-registration is required.  Workshop will be limited to the first 12 paid registrants. (sign up early, seats are going!)

Sponsored by: the Golden LEAF Foundation

Registration form and workshop information can be accessed and downloaded here:
http://www4.ncsu.edu/~lnshewmo/daniels/workshop.html

Please contact me for further information:
Laura Shewmon
Extension Assistant
North Carolina State University
Department of Zoology
127 David Clark Labs
Campus Box 7617
Raleigh, North Carolina   27695
USA 
lnshewmo@unity.ncsu.edu
919.513.7531

Contact: Nancy Fish, Marine Fisheries
Date: August 14, 2006
Phone: (252)- 726-7021

MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION SEEKS COMMERCIAL RED DRUM ADVSIORS

MOREHEAD CITY- The North Carolina Marie Fisheries Commission is looking for Commercial fishermen to serve as advisors in developing the Red Drum Fishery Management Plan (FMP).

The advisory committee will be composed of representatives from the commercial, recreational and scientific communities to assist in developing long-term management goals for the Red Drum. Marnie Fisheries has already filled the recreational and scientific slots.

FMP’s include information on the nature and concerns of the fishery, habitat and water quality issues, and status of the stock. The FMP will be prepared by the Division of Marine Fisheries.

Individuals interested in serving as advisors should be willing to attend meetings at least once every two months and actively participate in the committee process. Advisors will be reimbursed for travel and other expenses incurred in relation to their official duties.

Advisor applications are available at Division of Marine Fisheries’ offices or by calling 252-726-7021 or 800-682-2632. The advisory committee is scheduled to begin meeting in late 2006. Applications should be returned by September 20, 2006 to the Division of Marine Fisheries, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, North Carolina 28557. Attention: Kelly Mullen.

For information about red drum and the advisory committee process, please contact Louis Daniels by e-mail at Louis.Daniel @ncmail.net or 252-726-7021.

Contact: Nancy Fish
Date:    July 14, 2006
Phone: (252) 726-7021

HERRING MEETINGS PLANNED THIS SUMMER

MOREHEAD CITY – Is a total fishing moratorium the only hope in preventing the collapse of one of North Carolina’s oldest fisheries or will continued harvest restrictions bring about the recovery of river herring?

            The river herring fishery has changed little since colonial times.  Fishermen still ply the same waters, using the same gears to harvest the fish.  What has changed is the dwindling catch. In recent decades, landings dropped from 10 million pounds annually, to less than 600,000 pounds.  Since 1995, the state has implement increasingly restrictive harvest measures to try to recover this fishery, but the herring stock continues to decline.

Since June 2005, an advisory group of commercial and recreational fishermen, scientists, and N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries staff, have been updating a fishery management plan for river herring. Management plans make long-term regulatory recommendations to conserve a fishery and are updated every five years.

The advisory committee drafts a proposed plan, including proposed rules, that goes out for public input. Once the public meetings are complete, the Marine Fisheries Commission votes on which portions of the plan to adopt and the rulemaking process begins.  When rulemaking is complete, the commission adopts the final plan and implements any needed regulations. 

July 24 – 6 p.m.
Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources' Regional Office
943 Washington Square Mall
Washington

July 25 – 7 p.m.
Swain Auditorium
Edenton

August 3  – 6 p.m.
Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources
Room 504-2A 5th Floor , Archdale Building
Raleigh

August 9 – 6 p.m.
Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources' Regional Office
127 Cardinal Drive Ext.
Wilmington

August 16 – 6 p.m.
Craven County Agricultural Extension Center
300 Industrial Drive
New Bern

            Other areas of discussion for river herring recovery include:

• Monitoring program and stock recovery indicators;
• Restoration/stocking programs;
• Predation on river herring by other species, emphasis on striped bass;
• River herring bycatch in the Atlantic Ocean fisheries;
• Anadromous spawning and nursery areas - critical habitat;
• Water quality;
• Blockages of historical spawning habitat; and
• Entrainment and impingement of eggs and larvae.

The Marine Fisheries Commission will vote on which proposals to include in the draft River Herring Fishery Management Plan at its September 28-29 business meeting in Atlantic Beach.

Visit http://www.ncdmf.net/fmps/index.html to download a copy of the draft River Herring Fishery Management Plan. For more information about these meetings, please contact Sara Winslow by e-mail at sara.winslow@ncmail.net or by calling 800-3387805 or 252-264-3911.