SC-3-2004
Preston
P. Pate, Jr., Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that
effective at 7:30 A.M., Monday, August
16, 2004, the bay scallop season
WILL OPEN in the area described below with the following restrictions:
I.
AREA DESCRIPTION
An area in North River, the Straits and Back Sound east and
north of a line beginning on Lenoxville Point at a point 34° 42.5000 N - 76° 36.9333 W; running southwesterly to Beacon NR at Middle
Marshes; running southerly to Shackelford Banks at a point 34° 41.1000 N - 76° 38.2666 W; and west and north of a line beginning in
Marshallberg at a point 34° 43.1500 N - 76° 31.2000 W; running southeasterly to Beacon 42A off
Marshallberg; running southeasterly to Beacon 10 off Browns Island; running
southwesterly to Beacon 6off Eastmouth Bay; running southwesterly to Beacon
35 at the entrance to Barden Inlet Channel; running southerly along Bardens
Inlet Channel to Core Banks at a point 34° 38.1000 N - 76° 30.9000 W; running southeasterly along the shoreline to
the eastern end of the Colregs Demarcation Line across Bardens Inlet at a point
34°
37.3666 N - 76°
31.4833 W; running northwesterly with the Colregs Demarcation Line to Shackelford
Banks (See Map). The area between these boundaries will open to bay scallop harvest and
the remainder of the States internal waters will remain closed.
A.
Scallops
may be taken from 7:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. by hand, with hand rakes, hand tongs,
dip nets and scoops.
B.
Harvest will be allowed on
Monday and Wednesday, August 16 and 18; Monday and Wednesday, August 23 and 25;
Monday and Wednesday, August 30 and September 1, 2004. The recreational harvest
limit can be taken on those days and on the weekends of August 21 and 22, and
August 28 and 29, 2004.
C.
SCALLOPS SHALL NOT BE TAKEN WITH DREDGES, NOR
SHALL DREDGES BE POSSESSED ABOARD A VESSEL USED TO TAKE SCALLOPS.
A.
For commercial
purposes no person shall take, attempt to take, or have in possession more than
ten (10) U.S. standard bushels per person per day. No combined fishing operation, regardless of the number of
persons or boats which may be involved, shall take, attempt to take, or have in
possession more than twenty (20) U.S. standard bushels per day. No person shall transfer scallops from the
catching vessel to any other vessel or transport scallops by any vessel other
than the vessel from which they are harvested.
B.
For recreational
purposes, no person shall take or have in possession more than ½ bushel of
scallops per person per day not to exceed one bushel if two or more persons are
on a vessel.
IV. 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 .0501.
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 recreational
harvest limit cannot be combined with the commercial harvest limit.
D.
The harvest of bay
scallops from any properly posted Research Sanctuary is prohibited by Marine
Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 3I .0109.
E. This action is being taken to allow harvest of bay scallops in the vicinity of Harkers Island before they are decimated by cownose ray predation.
August
13, 2004
8:00
A.M.
SC-3-2004
/sab