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Contact: Patricia Smith SHRIMP AND OYSTER HARVESTS INCREASE IN 2006 MOREHEAD CITY – State commercial harvests of several key fish and shellfish species edged up in 2006, despite an overall decrease in commercial fishing trips. The shrimp fishery ended a three-season downward trend in 2006; oyster harvests increased for the fourth consecutive year. “These are two important commercial fisheries to North Carolina and it is encouraging to see them doing better,” said Louis Daniel, director of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. Overall landings for shellfish, shrimp and crabs jumped, as well – 9.5 percent above 2005 harvests. A mild winter helped fishermen bring 5.7 million pounds of shrimp to the docks, more than double 2005 landings and right in line with the previous five-year average. Fewer incidences of oyster disease and increased production from Pamlico and Topsail sounds and the North River may be the reason oyster landings have consistently risen from 46,082 bushels in 2002 to 84,585 bushels in 2006. Hard blue crab harvests went up in 2006 by 803,684 pounds from 2005, but were 25 percent lower than the previous five-year average. Yet the decline in fishing trips and the lack of a traditional menhaden fishery took a toll. Overall landings for fish and shellfish hit an all-time low for the second year in a row. Taking menhaden out of the equation, overall landings were up 1.2 percent in 2006. Seafood brought to North Carolina docks in 2006 totaled 68.6 million pounds, an amount nearly 14 percent lower than in 2005. Finfish catches (without menhaden) were down 5 percent from 2005 and 15 percent from the previous five-year average, though catches increased for some managed species like southern flounder and red drum. However, not all finfish catches were down. It was a good year for speckled trout, tilefish and yellowfin tuna. The total value of the commercial harvest increased by $5 million to $70 million in 2006. The number of commercial fishing trips decreased from 155,112 in 2005 to 149,721 in 2006. Blue crabs, with a dockside value of $17 million, remained the state’s top dollar seafood, followed by shrimp in the number two spot, with a $9 million value. By Value Recreational catches in North Carolina remained stable in 2006, according to the Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey. Anglers caught nearly 12 million fish in 2006, weighing a total of 25.5 million pounds. By weight, yellowfin tuna topped the recreational catch at 7.6 million pounds. By number of fish, anglers caught more spot – 2.7 million – than any other fish. Spot was also the most popular catch – by pounds and number of fish – of those who fish recreationally with nets and other commercial gear. Recreational Commercial Gear License holders caught 334,976 spot in 2006, according to DMF surveys. Recreational A complete list of landings for 2006 can be found on the Division of Marine Fisheries web page at http://www.ncfisheries.net/. Contact: Patricia Smith MOREHEAD CITY- The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission is looking for licensed recreational anglers to serve as advisors in developing priorities and project funding for the new Coastal Recreational Fishing License. Individuals interested in serving as advisors must hold a Coastal Recreational Fishing License and should be willing to attend meetings at least twice a year. The committee will be comprised of approximately eight fishermen. 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. Applications should be returned by May 15, 2007 to the Division of Marine Fisheries, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, North Carolina 28557. Attention: Kelly Mullen. For information about the CRFL advisory committee process, please contact Randy Gregory by e-mail at randy.gregory@ncmail.net or 252-726-7021. MOREHEAD CITY- The Division of Marine Fisheries license offices in Washington, Wilmington, Wanchese, Columbia and Elizabeth City will be closed on Monday, May 7 to attend a staff training meeting. The Morehead City license office will be closed from 9:45 a.m. and reopen at 4:00 p.m. The offices will resume regular office hours on May 8.
Contact: Patricia Smith RECREATIONAL LICENSE SPENDING PLAN ON AGENDA MOREHEAD CITY – The state would name the first recipients of grants funded by Coastal Recreational Fishing License revenues early next year under a plan that goes before the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission at its April 25-27 meeting in Kill Devil Hills. The MFC is scheduled to vote on funding priorities and a funding process timeline. The timeline calls for requesting grant proposals this summer. Accepted proposals would then go through peer reviews in the fall and the MFC and Wildlife Resources Commission would decide on them by Feb. 15, 2008. Grant recipients would be notified in the spring with the funding cycle beginning July 1. Both the MFC and WRC must approve all spending of license revenues. A committee consisting of three MFC members and three WRC members endorsed the draft priorities and timeline April 4. The full WRC is expected to consider the draft plan at its May 18 meeting. Revenues from license sales go into two different funds, depending on the type of license. Expenditures from both funds must be used to manage, protect, restore, develop, cultivate, conserve and enhance the marine resources. Revenues from the sale of all lifetime coastal fishing licenses and a portion of the lifetime unified hunting and statewide fishing licenses go into a N.C. Marine Resources Endowment Fund. Only the interest of this account may be spent. Revenues from the sale of annual and 10-day coastal fishing licenses and a portion of the annual unified hunting and statewide fishing licenses go into a N.C. Marine Resources Fund. The MFC and WRC may authorize spending the principal of this account. The MFC business meeting begins at 9 a.m. April 26 and 8:30 a.m. April 27 at the Ramada Inn in Kill Devil Hills. The commission will hear public comments at 7 p.m. April 25 at the same location. For more information about this meeting, or the attached agenda, contact Patricia Smith by e-mail at tricia.smith@ncmail.net or by calling (800) 682-2632 or (252) 726-7021. MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION BUSINESS MEETING Executive Order One mandates the Chair inquire as to whether any member knows of any known conflict of interest or appearance of conflict with respect to matters before the commission. If any member knows of a conflict of interest or appearance of conflict, please so state at this time. April 25 April 26
3:30 p.m. Coastal Recreational Fishing License April 27 * Times indicated are merely for guidance. The Commission will proceed through the agenda until completed. 2007 Meeting Schedule
Contact: Patricia Smith COURT JUDGMENT BOOSTS FISHERIES CONSERVATION FUND MOREHEAD CITY – A recent court judgment will put nearly $14,000 into the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Conservation Fund. A Pamlico County District Court Judge awarded the money to the state as restitution for illegally caught flounder. James B. Jones, captain of the fishing vessel Lady Deborah, pleaded no contest March 30 to a charge of landing more than a 10,000-pound trip limit of flounder. Jones received a sentence of 12 months probation and was ordered to pay $13,857.50 to the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources in addition to $110 in court costs. The amount has already been paid, according to court records. Crewmembers Ponce D. Ham Jr. and Ponce D. Ham III both pleaded guilty to the same charge. They were ordered to pay $110 in court costs and a $75 fine. The fishermen were cited Feb. 16 after Marine Patrol Officers Bryan Spain and Robert Lyon found 21,086 pounds of flounder on board the 85-foot trawler during a routine compliance check in the Oriental area. The catch was more than double the allowable flounder trip limit of 10,000 pounds per day per vessel that was in effect at the time. The officers seized the fish and cited the four fishermen on board. The case against the fourth fisherman is still pending. The Conservation Fund is administered by the Marine Fisheries Commission and used for such purposes as educating the public about the importance of marine and estuarine conservation management. For more information, contact Marine Patrol Capt. Steve Anthony at (252) 726-7021 or (800) 682-2632.
Contact: Patricia Smith
MEETINGS SCHEDULED FOR SEA TURTLE REGULATION CHANGES MOREHEAD CITY – The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries has scheduled two public meetings to discuss possible future changes to federal regulations for turtle excluder devices (TEDs). NOAA Fisheries is considering expanding the areas and gears in which TEDs are required. A TED is a type of trapdoor used in shrimp trawls to allow sea turtles, inadvertently caught in the nets, to escape. The federal agency initially issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking Feb. 15 requesting public comments within 30 days, but has since extended the comment period to May 18. DMF is seeking public input as it prepares the state’s position on the proposals. Fishermen participating in ocean trawl fisheries, as well as the general public, are encouraged to attend the meetings. The meetings are scheduled for: April 24 – 7 p.m. May 1 – 7 p.m. For more information, contact Red Munden, N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, at (252) 726-7021 or (800) 682-2632. Contact: Patricia Smith NEW FACE AT FISHERIES MOREHEAD CITY - The Division of Marine Fisheries has a new public information officer. Patricia Smith of Beaufort began with the agency today. Media representatives and other members of the public with questions concerning marine fisheries issues should contact her by telephone at (252) 726-7021 or 800-682-2632 or at Tricia.Smith@ncmail.net. Smith previously covered marine fisheries and other environmental issues for the Jacksonville Daily News. She takes the job formerly held by Nancy Fish, who was recently promoted to the position of liaison to the Marine Fisheries Commission. |