FF-43-2003
RE: BLACK SEA BASS – COMMERCIAL FISHING
OPERATIONS – ATLANTIC OCEAN
Preston
P. Pate, Jr., Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that
effective at 12:01 A.M., Thursday,
January 1, 2004, the following restrictions will apply to the commercial
black sea bass fishery:
PERMITS
A. Finfish dealers may not buy more than 100
pounds of black sea bass caught north of
Cape Hatteras per day per commercial fishing operation unless the dealer
has a valid 2004 Black Sea Bass-North of Cape Hatteras Dealer Permit
from the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. Permits will be issued
only to those licensed fish dealers holding a valid license as authorized in
G.S. 113-169.3. Dealers must abide by
all conditions of the 2004 Black Sea Bass- North of Cape Hatteras Dealer
Permit.
B. Dealers possessing a 2004 Black Sea Bass-North of Cape Hatteras Dealer
Permit shall report daily by noon
through FAX transmittal (252-726-3903) to the Division of Marine Fisheries black
sea bass landings from the Atlantic Ocean for the previous day.
A. This proclamation is issued under the
authority of G.S. 113-134; 113- 170.4; 113-170.5; 113-181; 113-182; 113-221(e);
143B-289.52 and NC Marine Fisheries Rules 15A NCAC 3M .0506, 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. Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 3I .0113 specifies
that it is unlawful for any licensee under Chapter 113, Subchapter IV of the
General Statutes to refuse to allow the Fisheries Director or his agents to
obtain biological data, harvest information, or other statistical data
necessary or useful to the conservation and management of marine and estuarine
resources from fish in the licensee=s possession.
D. The intent of this proclamation is to
establish the requirement for a dealer permit and a reporting process for the
taking of black sea bass from the Atlantic Ocean north of Cape Hatteras. This is to assure that the 2004 quota
allocated to North Carolina in the joint Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management
Council - Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Fishery Management Plan
for Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass is not exceeded.
E. Atlantic
Ocean Commercial Dealer Black Sea Bass Permits are available at no cost from
all Division of Marine Fisheries License Offices beginning November 17, 2003.
F. A proclamation will be issued at a later date establishing trip limits or other harvest restrictions for the black sea bass fisheries beginning January 1, 2004.
November
10, 2003
1:30 P.M.
FF-43-2003
/dlt