M-6-2003
Preston P. Pate, Jr., Director,
Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 12:01 A.M., Tuesday, April 15, 2003,
the following provisions shall apply to the use of gill nets in the ALBEMARLE SOUND MANAGEMENT AREA.
I. AREA DESCRIPTION
The Albemarle Sound
Management Area as described in Marine Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 3O .0503 (b)
(2) (A) (ii).
Only gill nets meeting the specified mesh lengths shall be used in the following 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 ¼ inches shall not exceed 800 yards.
B) Gill nets with a mesh length less than 3 ¼ inches may not be used.
C) In the waters of North River gill nets with
a mesh length of 3 ¼ inches may not be set in depths of water less than eight
(8) feet.
D) Gill nets with a mesh length less than 3 ¼ inches and smaller than 5 ¼ inches may not be used.
E) Gill nets with a mesh length of 5 ¼ 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 be set so as to fish the bottom not to exceed a vertical height of 48 inches.
F) Gill nets with a mesh length of 5 ¼ inches and larger not meeting the criteria in Section II. D. 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 be set so as to fish on the bottom not to exceed a vertical height of 48 inches.
G) Gill nets with a mesh length of 5 ¼ inches and larger can only be used as described in II. D. and E., and may not exceed 3,000 yards combined.
H) No
gill nets may be used in the area
southwest of a line from Black Walnut Point 35° 59’ .3833’ N- 76° 41’ .0000’ W,
running 138° (M) to a point 35° 56’ .3333’N- 76° 36’ .0333’ W at the mouth of
Mackey’s Creek, including Roanoke, Cashie, Middle and Eastmost rivers.
III. SEASON
CLOSURE
The season for the use of commercial gear described in Section II. A., B., C., and D., but excluding Section II. E., F. and G., will close by proclamation at a later date.
VI. RECREATIONAL
NET RESTRICTIONS
The 100 yards
of gill net allowed Recreational Commercial Gear License holders must adhere to
the net configurations and mesh sizes in the waterbodies described in this
proclamation for commercial fishing operations.
V. 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) and
3M .0202 and 3M .0513.
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, hickory shad and flounder while
managing Albemarle Sound Management Area striped bass and river herring stocks
within the quota established by the North Carolina Estuarine Striped Bass
Fishery Management Plan, the Albemarle Sound Area River Herring Fishery
Management Plan, and controlling the bycatch of striped bass in directed gill
net fisheries.
D) This
proclamation supersedes Proclamation M-2-2003, dated February 7, 2003 and
M-5-2003, dated March 21, 2003.
April 11 2003
9:00
A.M.
M-6-2003
/sab