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Contact: Patricia Smith STATE DELAYS REQUIREMENT FOR STRIPED BASS GEAR PERMIT MOREHEAD CITY – Commercial fishermen will not need to get a gear permit from the state to fish for striped bass in the ocean this year. The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission, at the request of the Division of Marine Fisheries, delayed the permit requirement at its meeting in Greenville last week. Instead, the division will form a committee to discuss other options, including limited entry. The division also will devise a proposal to keep the fishery open to the state’s traditional ocean striped bass fisheries. The state had planned to institute a commercial permit to harvest ocean striped bass this fall. The permit would have required fishermen to declare which of three gear types – gill nets, beach seines or trawls – they will use. Though it was originally conceived as a limited entry system, the permit that was approved by the legislature would not have reduced the number of fishermen in the fishery. Division staff believed it would do little to control the fishery without considering a limited entry system. North Carolina’s commercial striped bass fishery has, for years, been a contentious one with more fishermen competing for a 480,480-pound annual quota. Some fishermen have found ways to get around trip limits and gear allocations causing participation in the fishery to more than quadruple. It has resulted in derby-style fishing and early season closures. For more information, contact David Taylor at 1-800-682-2631, (252) 726-7021 or David.L.Taylor@ncmail.net.
Advisory panel members are appointed by the Council and serve for a three-year period, based on the frequency of meetings. As those appointments expire, members currently serving on the AP can reapply for their positions. These seats also become open to new applicants. AP members generally meet no more than once or twice each year and are compensated for travel and per diem expenses for all meetings. Applications are now being solicited for the following positions: Contact: Patricia Smith FISHERMEN ASKED TO REPORT TIGER SHRIMP CATCHES MOREHEAD CITY – The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is asking fishermen to be on the lookout for a non-native species of shrimp called the black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon). This shrimp, native to the West Pacific, has been found in North Carolina waters and could pose a threat to the native shrimp species. Fishermen reported capturing three of these shrimp last year, two in waters of the Pamlico Sound and one offshore from Bogue Banks. During the past several years, black tiger shrimp have also been reported in Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina waters. It is believed that black tiger shrimp were introduced into the coastal waters of the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico by escaping from aquaculture facilities. No commercial shrimp farms in North Carolina grow black tiger shrimp, so it is unlikely they were released from aquaculture operations in this state. The impact of these shrimp on native species is unknown. However, many problems can result from the introduction of non-natives, including new diseases and competition for food and habitat. The black tiger shrimp has distinct dark and white stripes along its back. If a fisherman captures one, he should freeze it, record the date and location where he caught it and contact Trish Murphey at the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries at (800) 682-2632 or Trish.Murphey@ncmail.net. A high-resolution photo of a black shrimp can be downloaded at http://www.ncdmf.net/news/images2k8/tiger_shrimp.jpg. Contact: Patricia Smith MOREHEAD CITY – To reduce regulatory discards of dead fish, the commercial red drum harvest season will reopen April 28. Commercial fishermen will be allowed to keep and sell up to four red drum per vessel per day when fishing for flounder and/or striped mullet. Because red drum is a bycatch fishery, the weight of the red drum catch must not exceed the weight of the flounder and/or striped mullet catch in a fishing trip. Flounder and striped mullet are the only fisheries where a bycatch of red drum will be allowed. The reopening of the commercial season will likely result in harvests that exceed a yearly cap that runs from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31 each year. These overages will be subtracted from the 2008-2009 harvest allocation, and could result in stricter regulations next winter. “It may mean the bycatch limit will remain at four fish per day throughout the fall, or there could even be a December, January, February closure,” said Louis Daniel, director of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. North Carolina waters closed to commercial red drum fishing April 3 because the yearly harvest was approaching a 250,000-pound commercial cap recommended by the N.C. Red Drum Fishery Management Plan. The season normally runs Sept. 1 through Aug. 31. Traditionally, the highest incidental catches occur in the fall gill net fisheries. But this year, landings in the winter were just as high, indicating some commercial fishermen may have been targeting red drum. Red drum is a commercial bycatch fishery; it is illegal for commercial fishermen to target red drum. Many commercial fishermen expressed concern the closure would force them to throw back dead or dying fish. Also, because the discarded fish would not be landed, they would not be counted against the overall commercial harvest. The Marine Fisheries Commission authorized Daniel to reopen commercial red drum harvest at its April 22 meeting. “I was pleased the division and the commission could come up with a reasonable approach to account for the bycatch that will inevitably occur in the summer fisheries,” Daniel said. “However, I want to stress, overages in this year’s harvest cap will be paid back out of next year’s harvest allotment.” The commission also tentatively approved an amendment to the Red Drum Fishery Management Plan that, in the future, will divide the commercial red drum harvest cap into sub-seasons so overharvest in the winter months will not affect the cap for the summer and fall. For more information, contact Lee Paramore, biologist with the Division of Marine Fisheries, at (252) 473-5734 or Lee.Paramore@ncmail.net. Contact: Patricia Smith COMMERCIAL LANDINGS DOWN; DOCKSIDE VALUE UP IN 2007 MOREHEAD CITY -- The amount of seafood commercial fishermen brought to the docks in North Carolina dropped for the fifth straight year in 2007, but the dockside value of the catch increased from 2006 figures. Commercial fishermen landed 62.9 million pounds of fish and shellfish in 2007, an 8.5 percent drop from 2006, according to harvest data collected by the N.C. Trip Ticket Program. The total dockside value of the 2007 harvest was estimated at $82.3 million, which was $12.2 million more than in 2006. It could indicate that higher fuel prices are forcing fishermen to target the high-dollar catches, said Louis Daniel, director of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. “In some instances, the declines that we have seen from 2006 to 2007 may be closely related to coastwide quotas and other regulations,” Daniel said. Bluefish, summer flounder, snowy grouper, river herring, sharks and spiny dogfish are examples of species where regulations are significant enough to affect landings, Daniel said. “Declines are also apparent in some of the higher volume, often lower valued fisheries, like croaker and spot,” Daniel said. “That may be a result of high fuel costs or a shift in fishing effort.” High valued seafood, such as sea scallops, vermillion snapper, triggerfish, wahoo, red grouper and sea mullet showed significant increased landings, Daniel said. The declines in croaker and spot landings could also indicate a problem with the resources, Daniel said. According to the most recent Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission stock assessment, croaker are not overfished in the Mid-Atlantic region (north of Hatteras) but the stock status for croaker in the South Atlantic (south of Hatteras) is unknown. Hard crabs remained the top commercial seafood harvest in North Carolina by weight and value. Fishermen landed 20.5 million pounds of crabs in 2007 worth $18.1 million. But that was still 16 percent below 2006 levels and 35 percent lower than the previous five-year average. Landings of other top commercial species declined, as well. Atlantic croaker landings were at 7.3 million pounds, down 30 percent from 2006 and 38 percent from the previous five-year average. Summer flounder landings were 2.6 million pounds, down 33 percent from 2006 and 35 percent from the previous five-year average. Bluefish landings were 2.3 million pounds, down 16 percent from 2006 and 23 percent from the previous five-year average. On the other hand, harvests of shrimp were at 9.5 million pounds, up 66 percent from 2006 and 64 percent from the previous five-year average. White shrimp harvests almost doubled those of 2006 and warmer winter waters farther north contributed to the highest catch of white shrimp from Pamlico Sound since 1999. Total recreational landings by pounds decreased by 7.3 percent from 2006 to 23,052,903 pounds. However, the number of fish caught and kept increased from 12 million in 2006 to 14.7 million in 2007. Top recreational species harvested were dolphinfish, 5.5 million pounds; yellowfin tuna, 3.3 million pounds; king mackerel, 2 million pounds; bluefish, 1.5 million pounds; and spot, 1.4 million pounds. Fishermen holding recreational commercial gear licenses harvested a total of 433,152 pounds of fish and crabs. Top species harvested were blue crabs, 98,003 pounds; spot, 97,753 pounds; flounder, 41,542 pounds; striped mullet, 37,958 pounds; and shrimp, 33,778 pounds. A complete list of 2007 landings can be downloaded from the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ Web site at http://www.ncfisheries.net/download/index.html under the “Statistics, Reports, Bulletins, and Summaries” heading. For more information, contact Don Hesselman, chief of the division’s License and Statistics Section, at (252) 808-8099 or dhesselman@ncmail.net. CORRECTION: PLEASE NOTE THE DATE FOR THE NEW BERN, NC MEETING HAS BEEN CORRECTED FROM THE EARLIER POSTING. THE MEETING IN NEW BERN WILL BE HELD MAY 15, 2008. A CORRECTED VERSION OF THE NEWS RELEASE IS ATTACHED. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 14, 2008 CONTACT: Kim Iverson Public Information Officer 843/571-4366 or Toll free 866/SAFMC-10 Council to Hold Public Hearing/Scoping Meeting Series in May Public input solicited on measures to end overfishing for gag, vermilion snapper, and red snapper; Also Ecosystem-based management and the protection of deepwater corals The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a series of public meetings May 7 -15, 2008 to solicit input on fishery management alternatives designed to end overfishing for gag grouper, vermilion snapper, and red snapper, three economically important species in the snapper grouper management complex. The Council is also seeking input on the Fishery Ecosystem Plan and the Comprehensive Ecosystem Amendment, an ecosystem-based approach to fishery management. The Comprehensive Ecosystem Amendment would provide protection to large areas of deepwater coral habitat in the South Atlantic region. The public hearings and scoping meetings will utilize a format that allows the public to receive presentations, hold informal discussions with Council staff, and provide public comment to the area Council representative in attendance at each meeting between 3:00 PM until 7:00 PM. Overview During its June 2007 meeting, the Council received updated stock assessment information indicating that overfishing was occurring for gag grouper and vermilion snapper. To end this overfishing within one year, as specified in the Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Act, the Council began developing Amendment 16 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan. Input received during public scoping meetings held in September 2007 has been incorporated into management alternatives to reduce harvest of gag and vermilion snapper to end overfishing, address bycatch, establish interim allocations between recreational and commercial fishermen, and update management reference points such as Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY). Alternatives under consideration in Amendment 16 include a January – April gag grouper spawning season closure for the both commercial and recreational sectors. In addition, during the closure fishing for and/or possession of the following species would be prohibited: black grouper, red grouper, scamp, red hind, rock hind, yellowmouth grouper, tiger grouper, yellowfin grouper, graysby, and coney. Other measures being considered include dividing the commercial quota for gag grouper between two regions, establishing a directed commercial quota for vermilion snapper, adjusting the recreational bag and size limits, and a recreational seasonal closure for vermilion snapper. Amendment 16 also includes measures to reduce bycatch mortality by requiring fishermen fishing for snapper grouper species to use venting and dehooking tools as well as circle hooks. Alternatives are also included for interim allocations between recreational and commercial fishermen. The Council will conduct a public hearing regarding its Fishery Ecosystem Plan and the Comprehensive Ecosystem Amendment as part of the meeting series. The Fishery Ecosystem Plan will act as a “source document” for subsequent Comprehensive Amendments addressing issues across existing fishery management plans and allow for an ecosystem-based approach to management. The first Comprehensive Ecosystem Amendment includes alternatives to establish deepwater coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPCs) to provide protection for these ecologically important and unique deepwater coral habitats. Public scoping will also be conducted for Amendment 18 to the Snapper Grouper FMP to get input on reductions needed to address overfishing for red snapper. Recent stock assessments show red snapper stocks are experiencing overfishing and are overfished, conditions that will require appropriate reductions in harvest. The Council is also accepting written comments on these issues until 5:00 p.m. on May 16, 2008. Copies of the public hearing and scoping documents with details on how to submit written comments on each topic are available by contacting the Council office and will be posted on the Council’s web site at www.safmc.net as they become available. Public Hearing/ Scoping Meeting Dates and Locations 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM (attend any time between these hours) May 7, 2008 Key Largo Grande 97000 S. Overseas Highway Key Largo, Florida 3307 Phone: 866-597-5397 May 9, 2008 Radisson Resort at the Port 8701 Astronaut Boulevard Cape Canaveral, Florida 32920 Phone: 321-784-0000 May 12, 2008 Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum 175 Bourne Avenue Pooler, Georgia 31322 Phone: 912-748-8888 May 13, 2008 Town & Country Inn 2008 Savannah Highway Charleston, South Carolina 29407 843-571-1000 May 15, 2008 Sheraton New Bern 100 Middle Street New Bern, North Carolina 28560 Phone: 252-638-3585
MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION TO MEET IN GREENVILLE MOREHEAD CITY – The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will make choices affecting the future management of North Carolina’s red drum fishery when it meets this month in Greenville. The commission is scheduled to choose what to endorse from a draft amendment to a 2001 Red Drum Fishery Management Plan. The draft includes recommendations for new commercial trip and gear limits as well as educational outreach. It also identifies environmental concerns and data needs. Once the commission selects its preferred management alternatives, it will send the draft to the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the General Assembly for review and comment. The draft will then come back to the Marine Fisheries Commission for any modifications and rulemaking. The draft amendment can be downloaded from the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries Web site at http://www.ncfisheries.net/download/RDFMP_revised%20draf_%202-19-08.pdf. Also on the meeting agenda is discussion of issues pertaining to the implementation of a commercial ocean striped bass gear permit. The state plans to put the permit in place this fall and require fishermen to declare what type of gear they will use in the fishery for the next three years. Additionally, the division will release its annual landings report. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. April 22 and 8:30 a.m. April 23 at the City Hotel and Bistro in Greenville. The commission also will hold a public comment period at 7 p.m. April 21 at the same location. NEW ANGLER’S GUIDE AVAILABLE TO PUBLIC MOREHEAD CITY – A new, full-color angler’s guide is available to the public for free. The 131-page, pocket-sized booklet contains information about the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ recreational fishing programs, license requirements and ethical angling practices. It also features a large section that describes the biology and habitat of frequently caught fish species, including fishing tips.
The North Carolina Coastal Recreational Angler’s Guide is the first project to be completed with a grant from the Marine Resources Fund, which receives revenues from the sale of Coastal Recreational Fishing Licenses. The Marine Fisheries Commission and Wildlife Resources Commission approved the $100,000 grant in the spring of 2007.
Individuals may obtain a copy at any N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries office or the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries Web site, http://www.ncdmf.net.
Bait and tackle shops, tourist centers and other businesses that cater to the coastal fishing population may arrange for delivery of the books by contacting Kelly Odom, the division’s public education specialist, at (252) 808-8028, 1-800-682-2632 or Kelly.Odom@ncmail.net. Availability is limited. Contact: Patricia Smith MARINE FISHERIES LICENSE OFFICES TO TEMPORARILY CLOSE MOREHEAD CITY – N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries license offices will temporarily close April 9 for staff training. The license office in Morehead City will close from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. License offices in Washington, Wilmington, Wanchese, Elizabeth City and Columbia will be closed all day. All division license offices will resume regular schedules on April 10. Contact: Patricia Smith FISHERIES DIRECTOR ANNOUNCES FUNDING FOR WATERFRONT ACCESS SITES MOREHEAD CITY – N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries Director Louis Daniel today announced 13 sites selected for funding from the Waterfront Access and Marine Industry Fund. The sites were selected to provide waterfront access to a variety of user groups, including commercial and recreational fishermen, pier fishermen, recreational boaters and marine industry. In addition, several sites are in strategic locations for important state research and habitat enhancement efforts. “These projects represent what we were looking for when we sought proposals for multi-functional projects,” Daniel said. "They address many of the access issues identified in the 2007 Waterfront Access Study Committee Report." Daniel said he believes DMF also met its goal of leveraging the $20 million WAMI Fund to draw other sources of financial support. The total cost of the projects exceeds $71 million. The N.C. General Assembly approved the $20 million fund in 2007 in response to recommendations from the Waterfront Access Study Committee. The study committee reported to the Joint Legislative Commission on Seafood and Aquaculture that rapid development along the coast has brought higher property values and taxes that have resulted in the loss of traditional maritime industries and public access. The General Assembly felt state intervention was needed to ensure existing and future waterfront-dependent uses and continued access to the state’s public trust waters. The WAMI was created to acquire waterfront properties or develop facilities to provide, improve or develop public and commercial waterfront access. State Senate Pro-tem Marc Basnight led legislative support for the program. "I am pleased that the Waterfront Access and Marine Industry Fund is now a reality,” Basnight said. “Our maritime heritage and the hard work of generations of watermen have meant so much to our economy and our people throughout our history. These funds will help our fishermen prosper and preserve our working waterfronts for generations to come." Additionally, site reviews required the collaboration of several different DENR agencies, meeting goals of the N.C. Coastal Habitat Protection Plan and One North Carolina Naturally. Agencies involved in site reviews included the Division of Marine Fisheries, the Wildlife Resources Commission, the Division of Coastal Management, the Division of Parks and Recreation, the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, the Division of Water Resources and the Division of Water Quality. “Conservation was a winner last year, with additional funding for parks, natural heritage, farmland preservation and this waterfront access initiative,” said Secretary Bill Ross of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. “We are grateful to Gov. Easley and the General Assembly for their leadership on these initiatives so important to connecting people with the wonderful natural resources of North Carolina. The sites and funding are distributed geographically across three coastal regions. Six, totaling $6.8 million are in the Northeast; four, totaling $6.3 million, are in the Central; and three, totaling $6.9 million, are in the Southeast. Some of the funding decisions are pending state appraisals and successful price negotiations for property acquisition. For more information, contact DMF Public Information Officer Patricia Smith at (252) 808-8025 or Tricia.Smith@ncmail.net. Download PDF of selected projects. Contact: Patricia Smith WATERS CLOSE TO COMMERCIAL RED DRUM HARVESTS MOREHEAD CITY – All North Carolina waters will close to commercial red drum harvests at noon Thursday. The closure is necessary because the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries estimates the yearly harvest is approaching the 250,000-pound commercial cap implemented by the N.C. Red Drum Fishery Management Plan. Preliminary trip ticket totals indicate that commercial fishermen had harvested 221,343 pounds of red drum by mid-February. Late February and March figures are not yet complete. Under the closure, it will be illegal to keep or sell a red drum caught incidentally to any commercial fishing operation, except one legal-sized red drum that may be kept for personal consumption. Commercial dealers will have until April 15 to sell and transport unfrozen red drum that were harvested prior to this closure. The red drum commercial fishing cap will reset Sept. 1. The closure does not affect recreational catches of red drum. The recreational harvest limits remain at a one-fish per person per day of a size between 18 inches and 27 inches. For more information, contact Lee Paramore, biologist with the Division of Marine Fisheries, at (252) 473-5734 or Lee.Paramore@ncmail.net. Contact: Patricia Smith
MEETING SET ON COMMERCIAL OCEAN STRIPED BASS FISHING MOREHEAD CITY -- The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a public meeting April 14 in Manteo to discuss the 2008 commercial ocean striped bass season. This year, the state will institute a commercial permit to harvest ocean striped bass that will require fishermen to declare which of three gear types – gill nets, beach seines or trawls – they will use. Fishermen will be allowed to obtain only one permit per person. Once a fisherman declares his gear, he will be locked into the decision for three years. DMF officials at the meeting will discuss the permit requirement, quota allocation and beach seine gear parameters. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m., April 14 in the small auditorium at Roanoke Island Festival Park, Manteo. For more information, please contact David Taylor at 1-800-682-2631 or (252)-726-7021.
Contact: Patricia Smith MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION SEEKS FINFISH ADVISOR
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