RE: COMMERCIAL GILL NETS - PAMLICO SOUND - GILL NET RESTRICTED AREA
(GNRA)
Preston P. Pate, Jr., Director, Division of Marine
Fisheries, hereby announces that effective 5:00
P.M., Saturday, September 29, 2001, the following management measures for
commercial gill net fisheries in Pamlico Sound will apply:
I. Northern
Portion of Shallow Water Gill Net Restricted Area 3 (SGNRA3) Restrictions
A. Northern
Portion of SGNRA 3
The area from Rodanthe to Oregon Inlet bound by the
following points: Beginning at Marker
“ICC” at 35°
35.9891’N- 75°
31.2419’W, then running northerly to Marker #12 at Old House Channel at 35° 45.0883’N- 75° 35.9600’W, then
running northeast to a point at Old House Channel at 35° 46.1333’N-75° 35.2333’W, then running east to a point on the south
side of Oregon Inlet at 35°
46.0500’N- 75° 31.6166’W, then in a
southerly direction along the shore to Marker #6 at Rodanthe at 35° 35.7001’
N-75° 28.3024’ W, then in a westerly direction to the point at of beginning.
B. Gear Restrictions
The following restrictions will apply to the commercial gill net fisheries occurring
in the area of Pamlico Sound described.
Large mesh gill nets are defined
in this proclamation as those gill nets with stretched mesh of 5 inches and
greater. Small mesh gill nets are
defined as those gill nets with stretched mesh less than 5 inches.
1.
From September 29 through December 15, 2001, the
use of large mesh gill nets is prohibited. Commercial fishing operations using small mesh
gill nets will require a GNRA Permit and will be limited to a maximum of 2,000
yards.
2.
From September 29 through October 31, 2001, attendance is required for fishing operations using small mesh gill
nets.
II.
GNRA PERMIT
CONDITION AMENDMENTS
The Permit requirements and conditions specified in Proclamation M-11-2001 (Second Revision), dated September 12, 2001, still apply, except that a list of all members of the commercial fishing operation (designees) is no longer required. A change of vessels must be called in the Division of Marine Fisheries (NCDMF) Communications Center in Morehead City, NC by phone at 1-800-682-2632 or (252) 726-7021 prior to fishing under the GNRA Permit.
III.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
A. This proclamation is issued under the authority of G. S. 113-134; 113-181; 113-182; 113-221(e); 143B-289.52 and N.C. Fisheries Rules 15A NCAC 3H .0103, 3I .0107, 3I .0113, 3J .0103, 3O .0500, and 3O .0506.
B.
It is unlawful to
violate the provisions of any proclamation issued by the Fisheries Director
under his delegated authority per 15A NCAC 3H .0103.
C.
The intent of this
proclamation is to eliminate the use of large mesh gill nets in the Northern
Portion of SGNRA3 to minimize sea turtle interactions. The requirement to list all members of the
commercial fishing operation (designees) on the GNRA Permit was also
eliminated.
D. “Attendance” is defined in N.C. Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 3I .0101 (b) (40).
E. This proclamation supplements, but does not supersede, the small mesh gill net attendance requirement for areas described in Marine Fisheries Temporary Rule 3J .0103 (approved May 1, 2001) from May 1 through October 31 each year. It does supersede the harvest restrictions in Proclamation M-11-2001 (Second Revision), dated September 12, 2001 as well as the requirement to list all members of the commercial fishing operation on the Permit.
September 27, 2001
10:00 A.M.
M-14-2001
/sab