Preston P. Pate, Jr., Director, Division of Marine
Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at sunrise, Wednesday, October 15, 2003, the oyster season WILL OPEN. The following
restrictions will apply to the oyster fishery:
I.
HARVEST RESTRICTIONS
A) MEANS AND METHODS
1) Oysters may be taken by hand and hand
operated implements only. See General
Information Section (F) for further gear restrictions.
2) Oysters may not be transferred from the
harvesting vessel to any other vessel during oyster harvesting operations or be
transported by any vessel other than the vessel in which they are harvested.
B) HARVEST DAYS - Oyster
harvest will be allowed Monday through
Friday of each week except as provided in General Information Section (D)
below.
C) QUANTITY - Properly
licensed persons may take or possess no more than five (5) bushels of oysters
per day and may not exceed a total of ten (10) bushels in any combined fishing
operation, regardless of the number of persons or boats which may be
involved. For non-commercial harvest
limits, see General Information Section (D) below.
D) MINIMUM SIZE LIMIT -
The size limit will be three (3) inches shell length for oysters taken on
public or private grounds.
II. 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 Rules
15A NCAC 3H .0103, 3K .0201, 3K .0202 and 3K .0205. N.C. Marine Fisheries Rules 15A NCAC 3K Sections .0100 and .0200
specify conditions, restrictions and authority granted to the Fisheries
Director for management of oyster stocks.
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) It is unlawful to possess or
sell oysters without a harvest tag affixed to each container, except oysters
harvested in accordance with N.C. Marine Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 3K .0101 (d).
D) In accordance with provisions
in General Statute 113-169.2, one bushel of oysters per person per day not to
exceed two bushels per vessel per day may be taken without a license for
non-commercial use seven days a week.
This amount cannot be in addition to daily harvest limits specified
under Harvest Restrictions in Section I.
C) of this proclamation.
E) N.C. Marine Fisheries Rule
15A NCAC 3K .0106 (a) prohibits the taking of oysters between the hours of
sunset and sunrise on any day.
F) N.C. Marine Fisheries Rule
15A NCAC 3K .0102 prohibits the taking of oysters with rakes more than 12
inches wide or weighing more than six pounds.
October 6, 2003
10:00 A.M.
SF-5-2003/2004
/sab