RE: STRIPED BASS
SEASON - COMMERCIAL FISHING OPERATIONS – ALBEMARLE SOUND MANAGEMENT AREA
Preston P. Pate, Jr.,
Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 6:00 P.M. Tuesday, April 6, 2004, the striped bass season WILL CLOSE in the area described
below for COMMERCIAL FISHING OPERATIONS.
I. AREA
DESCRIPTION
The Albemarle Sound Management Area as described in Marine Fisheries
Rule 15A NCAC 3O .0503 (b) (2) (A) (ii).
II. SEASON
No person may take, possess, transport, buy, sell or offer
for sale striped bass from the area defined above, except dealers will have
until April 20, 2004 to sell, offer
for sale, transport, or have in possession unfrozen striped bass taken in this
fishery prior to the closure.
III. GENERAL INFORMATION
A. This proclamation is issued under the
authority of G.S. 113-169.1; 113-170.4; 113-170.5; 113-182; 113-221(e);
143B-289.52; and N.C. Marine Fisheries Rules 15A NCAC 3H .0103, 3I .0112, 3M
.0201, 3 M .0202, 3O .0500 and 3Q .0107.
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. The annual total allowable catch of the Albemarle Sound Management Area quota for striped bass has been reached. The intent of this proclamation is to equitably distribute the quota established by the North Carolina Estuarine Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan.
D. The striped bass Dealer Permit validated for the Albemarle Sound Management Area is no longer valid upon this closure. Permittees must submit required reporting logs (where such reports have not been faxed) to the Division of Marine Fisheries’ Elizabeth City office by Friday. April 16, 2004.
E. This
proclamation supersedes Proclamation FF-51-2003, dated December 9, 2003, which
opened the above area.
April 2, 2004
11:30 A.M.
FF-32-2004
/sab