M-12-2003
RE:
GILL NETS - ALBEMARLE SOUND MANAGEMENT
AREA
Preston P. Pate, Jr., Director, Division
of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 12:01 A.M., Monday, November 24, 2003, the following provisions
shall apply to the use of gill nets in the ALBEMARLE SOUND MANAGEMENT AREA.
I. AREA DESCRIPTION:
Albemarle Sound
Management Area as described in Marine Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 3O.0503 (b) (2)
(A) (ii).
II. COMMERICAL NET RESTRICTIONS:
Only gill nets
meeting the specified mesh lengths shall be used in the areas identified
below. A fishing operation, regardless of the number of vessels or
persons involved, shall not use more than the lengths of gill nets specified
for the following areas:
A. Gill nets with a mesh length of 3 inches and
3¼ inches shall not exceed 800 yards in any combination.
B.
Gill nets with a
mesh length of 5¼ inches and larger that are equipped with floats that do not
exceed 2 inches in diameter and 6 inches in length placed a minimum of 10 yards
apart, not to exceed 11 floats per 100 yards of net. Nets must not exceed
3,000 yards in length and must be set so as to fish on the bottom not to exceed
a vertical height of 48 inches.
C.
All gill nets with a
mesh length of 5¼ inches and larger not meeting the criteria in II. A. 2. for
floats are required to be equipped with tie downs spaced no farther apart than
30 feet restricting the vertical distance between the top and bottom lines to
48 inches or less. Nets must not exceed 3,000 yards in length and must be
set so as to fish on the bottom not to exceed a vertical height of 48 inches.
The season for the
use of commercial gear described in Section II. A.but excluding Sections II. B.
and C. will close at 12:00 A.M.
Wednesday, December 31, 2003.
IV. GENERAL INFORMATION
A. This proclamation is issued under the
authority of G.S. 113-170.4; 113-170.5; 113-182; 113-221(e); 143B-289.52 and
N.C. Marine Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 3H .0103 and 3J .0103, 3Q .0107(1)(c), 3O
.0503, and 3M .0202.
B. It is unlawful to violate 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 allow directed fisheries for mullet, white
perch and flounder while managing Albemarle Sound Management Area striped bass
stocks within the quota established by the North Carolina Estuarine Striped
Bass Fishery Management Plan and controlling the bycatch of striped bass in
directed gill net fisheries.
D. This proclamation supersedes Proclamation
M-8-2003 dated May 2, 2003.
August 17, 2003
10:30 AM
M-12-2003
/sab