FF-62-2004
RE:
FLOUNDER-COMMERCIAL FISHING OPERATIONS-ATLANTIC OCEAN
Preston P. Pate, Jr., Director, Division of Marine
Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 6:00 P.M., Sunday, December 26, 2004, the following restrictions
will apply to the commercial flounder fishery:
The season for harvest of flounder from the Atlantic Ocean will close at
6:00 P.M., Sunday, December 26, 2004. No person or fishing operation may take,
possess, land, sell or offer for sale flounder from the Atlantic Ocean taken
with commercial gear for commercial purposes.
A. This proclamation is issued under the
authority of G.S. 113-134; 113-170.4; 113-170.5; 113-181; 113-182; 113-221 (e);
143B-289.52 and N.C. Fisheries Rules 15A NCAC 3H .0103 and 3M .0503.
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.
For purposes
of this proclamation, fish shall be considered landed when fish are unloaded or
the vessel is tied to the dock, whichever occurs first.
D.
This
closure is the result of the fall, 2004 quota allocation of flounder from the
Atlantic Ocean in the joint Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council-Atlantic
States Marine Fisheries Commission Fishery Management Plan for Summer Flounder
being exceeded. The spring, 2005 season
will begin by proclamation in January.
E.
This
proclamation supersedes FF-60-2004, dated December 13, 2004 which opened a
commercial harvest period.
December 22, 2004
10:00 A.M.
FF-62-2004
/sab