RE: SHRIMPING AND CRAB TRAWLING
Preston P. Pate, Jr., Director, Division of Marine
Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 12:01 A.M., Thursday, May 1, 2003, all coastal waters south of
Marker #45 near Bogue Inlet to the South Carolina line will close to shrimping
and crab trawling, except the
following areas, which will remain open until further notice:
AREA
DESCRIPTIONS - SOUTHERN DISTRICT:
I. ATLANTIC OCEAN
II. Onslow County
A. Bogue Inlet
Channel - (Map 1)
B. Intracoastal
Waterway Channel (ICWW) ONLY - from Bogue Inlet to Marker #45 at Swansboro (Map 1)
C. Intracoastal
Waterway - channel only from Marker #45 at Swansboro to Marker #63 south of
Brown's Inlet. (Maps 1 & 2)
D. West Channel - (Island Channel) - main
channel only from ICWW Buoy#47A to ICWW Marker #45B. (Map 1)
E. West Channel
- main channel only from ICWW Marker #48 to Bogue Inlet. (Map 1)
F. Banks Channel
- main channel only from Bogue Inlet to Bear Inlet. (Maps 1 & 2)
G. Saunders Creek
- main channel only from ICWW Marker #55 to Bear Inlet. (Map 2)
H. Bear Creek -
from the ICWW to Bear Inlet (Map 2)
I. Muddy Creek -
main channel only, from Bear Creek to Saunders Creek. (Map 2)
J. Shacklefoot
Channel - from ICWW Marker #59 to Bear Inlet including the area known
locally as the "Horseshoe".
(Map 2)
K. Uniflite Boat
Basin - dredged portion only, from ICWW near Marker #55 to the upstream end
of the dredged portion. (Map 2)
L. Brown's Inlet
area - main channels only, from ICWW Markers #61 and #63 to the Inlet. (Map
2)
M. Intracoastal
Waterway - channel only from Marker #63 south of Brown's Inlet to Marker #49 at Morris Landing. [The area between Marker #17 north of Alligator Bay to the Surf City
bridge closes on May 15 by Marine Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 3N .0105(b)]. (Maps 2, 3
& 4)
N. New River -
that area downstream from a line running from Gray Point 34° 37' 36' N – 77°
22' 18" W, thence 134° (M) to a point on the east shore 34° 37' 12" N
– 77° 21' 32" W. Also, the area
downstream from the Highway 172 Bridge bounded on the north by a line beginning
near Pollocks Point 34° 34' 55" N – 77° 23' 57" W; running 115° (M)
toJarretts Point 34° 34' 38" N – 77° 22' 55" W; running 118° (M) to
Wilkins Bluff 34° 34' 14" N – 77° 21' 39" W; running 226° (M) to a
point on the north side of the marked navigation channel 34° 33' 57" N –
77° 21' 53" W, across from Marker #17; running along the north side of the
channel to the ICWW; and bounded on the south by a line beginning at the N.C.
Highway 172 Bridge 34° 34' 38" N – 77° 23' 57" W; running 088° (M) to
Ferry Point 34° 34' 00" N – 77° 23' 49" W; running 138° (M) to Poverty
Point 34° 34' 07" N – 77° 23' 08" W; following
the south shore of the river to Hatch Point 34° 33' 08"
N – 77° 21' 47" W; and running 146° (M) to ICWW Marker #2. All tributaries
and that area west of a line beginning at a point at Stones Landing 34° 36'
21" N – 77° 26' 30" W; thence running 010° (M) to a point on the east
shore of Muddy Creek, 34° 36' 52" N – 77° 26' 27" W, shall remain
closed. The area upstream of the
Highway 172 Bridge closes on May 15 by Marine Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 3N
.0105(b). (Map 3)
O. Intracoastal
Waterway - from Marker #49 at
Morris Landing to the Highway 210/50
Bridge at Surf City and 100 feet on either side of the ICWW. All bays, creeks and tributaries,
including dredged canals will remain closed. (This area closes on May 15 by Marine Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 3N
.0105(b). (Map 4)
P. New River
Inlet - from ICWW Marker #72A to New River Inlet. All tributaries will remain closed. (Map 3)
III. Pender County
A. Intracoastal
Waterway Channel only - from Highway 210/50 Bridge at Surf City to ICWW
Marker #114, (Futch Creek). (Maps 4 & 5)
B. Sloop Point
Area - that area from the ICWW marked channel to 100 feet either side of
the ICWW channel between the Highway 210/50 Bridge at Surf City and Marker
#93. All bays, creeks, and
tributaries including dredged canals will remain closed. (Map 4)
C. Topsail Sound
- from ICWW Marker #86 to Topsail Inlet.
(Map 4)
D. Marker #98
Channel - main channel only, from ICWW Flasher #98 to New Topsail Inlet. (Map 5)
E. Green Channel
- main channel only, from ICWW Marker #105 to Rich Inlet. (Map 5)
F. Nixon Channel
- main channel only, from the ICWW to Rich Inlet. (Map 5)
G. Butler Creek
- (Utley's Channel) - main channel only, from the ICWW north of Marker #112
to Nixon Channel. (Map 5)
H. That area west
of the ICWW Channel from Marker #93 near Sloop Point to Marker #105 at Green's
Channel, from the ICWW channel to the marsh line bordering the ICWW. All bays, creeks, and tributaries,
including dredged canals will remain closed. (Maps 4 & 5)
IV. New Hanover County
A. Intracoastal
Waterway Channel only - from Marker #114 (Futch Creek) to Marker #163 at
Snows Cut. (Maps 5 & 6)
B. Mason Channel
- main channel only, from the ICWW opposite the mouth of Page's Creek to Mason
Inlet. (Map 5)
C. Carolina
Beach Boat Basin - from ICWW Marker #161 to the municipal docks (Map
6).
D. Stokley's Cut
- (Old Moores Inlet Channel) - from the ICWW near Marker #125 to Old Moore
Inlet, including the dredged basin. All
tributaries to the channel and the basin will remain closed. (Map 5)
E. Lee's Cut
(Spring Landing Channel) - from the Intracoastal Waterway to U.S. Highway
74 Bridge at Banks Channel, including the area known locally as "The
Lagoon". All tributaries to the
channel and lagoon will remain closed. (Map 5)
F. Banks Channel
- from U.S. Highway #74 Bridge to Masonboro Inlet. (Map 5)
G. Mott Channel
- from the ICWW near Marker #127 to Banks Channel, including the area known
locally as the "The Borrow Pit" or "The Everett Hole"
located adjacent to Mott Channel from Marker #22 to near Marker #26. (Map 5)
V. Brunswick County
A. Cape Fear
River - all waters south of a line beginning at a point on the west shore
34° 04’ 40”N –77° 56’ 30” W; running easterly to a point on the east shore 34°
04’ 40”N – 77° 55’ 29”W.
(Maps 6 & 7)
Those areas south
of a line beginning at a point on the south side of the Spoil Island at the
intersection of the ICWW and the Cape Fear River Ship Channel at 34° 01'
37" N – 77° 56' 05" W, running 106° (M) to a point on the east shore
of the Cape Fear River 34° 01' 32" N – 77° 55' 00" W including those
areas south of the area opened and east of the ICWW known as "Dow Chemical
Bay: and "Radar Dome Bay", will remain closed.
B. Elizabeth
River - main channel only, including Lower Dutchman Creek from the ICWW to
the Cape Fear River. All tributaries of Elizabeth River and
Dutchman Creek, that portion of
Elizabeth River west of the ICWW Marker #7, and that portion of Dutchman
Creek north of the ICWW will remain closed. (Map 7)
C. Intracoastal
Waterway Channel (ICWW) only - from Marker #1 (Southport) to the South
Carolina State Line. (Maps 7, 8, 9
& 10)
D. Eastern
Channel (Montgomery Slough) - main channel only, from Blue Water Point
Marina to Lockwoods Folly Inlet including the channel from ICWW Marker #36 to
Blue Water Point Marina. (Map 8)
E. Lockwoods
Folly River Inlet Channel - from the ICWW to the Atlantic Ocean. (Map 8)
F.
Shallotte
River Inlet - from the ICWW
Marker #75 to the Atlantic Ocean. (Map
9)
G.
Jinks Creek – from the ICWW to Tubb’s Inlet. (MAP 10)
H. Bonaparte
Creek - main channel only from the ICWW Marker #111 to Little River Inlet.
(Map 10)
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; 3L .0101 and .0202.
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. Shellfish
Management Areas which have been designated by proclamation are closed to the
use of trawl nets, longhaul seines, and swipe nets.
D. Hatched
areas on the attached maps indicate those areas closed to shrimping and crab
trawling.
E. All other rivers, bays, creeks, and tributaries of those areas opened to trawling will remain closed.
F. The Division of
Marine Fisheries will mark the areas to be opened with signs insofar as may be
practicable. No unauthorized removal or
relocation of any such sign shall have the effect of changing the area opened,
nor shall any such unauthorized removal or relocation or the absence of any
sign affect the applicability of any proclamation pertaining to any such body
of water or portion thereof. Where
there is conflict between signs and maps, maps shall prevail.
April 25, 2003
12:00 P.M.
SH-2-2003
/sab