RE: RIVER HERRING
Preston P. Pate, Jr., Director, Division of Marine
Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 12:01 A.M., Saturday, January 1, 2005, the river herring season will
open in all waters of the state.and the following restrictions will apply:
I.
SEASON
A.
The river herring
commercial season in all areas, excluding
the Albemarle Sound Herring Management Area and the Chowan River Herring
Management Area, will open with no harvest restrictions and will close at
midnight on April 14, 2005.
B.
The river herring
commercial season in the Albemarle Sound Herring Management Area and the Chowan River Herring Management Area
will close when the poundage allocations specified in III. A. below are reached.
Proclamations closing the fisheries will be issued at that time.
C.
The river herring
season for recreational purposes in the Albemarle Sound Herring Management Area
and the Chowan River Herring Management Area will close at midnight on April 14, 2005.
II. AREA
DESCRIPTION
The
Albemarle Sound Herring Management Area and the Chowan River Herring Management
Area as described in Marine Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 3J .0209.
III. HARVEST LIMITS
1. The quota allocation, as set forth in N.C.
Marine Fisheries Rule 3M .0513, for the pound net fishery in the Chowan River
Herring Management Area will be limited to a total of 200,000 pounds.
2.
The quota allocation
for commercial gill net fisheries within the Albemarle Sound Herring Management
Area and Chowan River Herring Management Area will be limited to a total of
67,000 pounds.
3.
An additional 33,000
pounds is available to be allocated at the discretion of the Fisheries
Director.
Quota allocations are not established for any other coastal
waters but daily recreational harvest limits apply.
IV. GENERAL
INFORMATION
A. This proclamation is issued under the
authority of N.C.G.S. 113-134; 113-170.4; 113-170.5; 113-181; 113-182; 113-221.1(b);
143B-289.52 and N.C. Fisheries Rules 15A NCAC 3H .0103 and 3M .0513.
B. It is unlawful to violate the provisions of
any proclamation issued by the Fisheries Director under his delegated authority
pursuant to Marine Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 3H .0103.
C. The intent of this proclamation is to place
harvest limits on the pound net and gill net fisheries of the Chowan River
Herring Management Area and the Albemarle Sound Herring Management Area in
accordance with restrictions adopted by the North Carolina Marine Fisheries
Commission in the River Herring Fishery Management Plan on February 17, 2000.
Under this Plan, the annual commercial quota for both areas is 300,000
pounds. This total is divided into 200,000
pounds allocated to the pound net fishery in the Chowan River Herring
Management Area, 67,000 pounds allocated to the gill net fishery in the
Albemarle Sound Herring Management Area, and 33,000 pounds to be allocated by
the Director at his discretion. The
quota and allocations apply to the calendar year.
E. Marine Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 3O .0503
(b)(3) requires dealer permits and related
reporting requirements.
December 23, 2004
10:30 A.M.
FF-68-2004
/sab