RE: COMMERCIAL SHARK HARVEST - ALL STATE
WATERS
Preston
P. Pate, Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that
effective at 12:01 a.m., Monday, April
15, 2002, the commercial harvest and retention of sharks taken in state
waters is restricted as follows:
I. COMMERCIAL
HARVEST RESTRICTIONS:
Season:
A. The January 1
through June 30 season for the retention of sharks within the Large Coastal category is CLOSED.
B. No person
engaged in commercial fishing operations may possess, transport, buy, sell, or
offer for sale sharks within the Large
Coastal category.
C. All sharks not retained must be returned to the water with fins and tail intact and in a manner to ensure the highest likelihood of survival.
II. GENERAL
INFORMATION
A. This proclamation is issued under the
authority of G.S. 113-170.4; 113-170.5; 113-182; 143B-289.52; and N.C. Marine
Fisheries Rules 15A NCAC 3H .0103 and 3M .0505.
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 federal seasons for sharks are based
on quotas. The Small Coastal and Pelagic categories will remain open until closed
by proclamation due to quotas being reached. Quota information can be obtained by contacting the NMFS Highly
Migratory Species Section at (301) 713-2347.
Bignose (Carcharhinus altimus), Blacktip (Carcharhinus limbatus), Bull (Carcharhinus leucus), Caribbean reef Carcharhinus perezii), Dusky (Carcharhinus obscurus), Galapagos (Carcharhinus galapagensis), Great Hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran), Lemon (Negaprion brevirostris), Nurse (Ginglymostoma cirratum), Sandbar (Carcharhinus plumbeus), Silky (Carcharhinus falciformis), Tiger (Galeocerdo cuvieri), Scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini), Smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena) and Spinner (Carcharhinus brevipinna).
E. This proclamation closes the harvest of the Large Coastal category due to the quota having been met.
April
4, 2002
10:00 A.M.
FF-26-2002
/sab