Contact: Patricia Smith
Phone: (252) 726-7021
Date: Aug. 27, 2010

Core Sound/Parts of Pamlico Sound to Open Under Restrictions to Protect Sea Turtles

MOREHEAD CITY – The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will reopen Core Sound to large-mesh gill net fishing Sept. 1 under restrictions to protect sea turtles.

The Pamlico Sound Gill Net Restricted Area will operate Sept. 1 through Sept. 17 under the same protective measures.  Other waters of Pamlico Sound will close to large-mesh gill net fishing Sept. 1 under a federal closure, as has been the case since 2001.

Division Director Louis Daniel implemented the measures for the Pamlico Sound Gill Net Restricted Area today by Proclamation M-15-2010. The proclamation and a map of the area can be found online at http://www.ncfisheries.net/procs/procs2k10/M-15-2010.html. Regulations for Core Sound can be found at http://www.ncfisheries.net/procs/procs2k10/M-14-2010.html.

The regulations require fishermen who set large-mesh gill nets (4-inch to 6.5-inch stretch mesh) to use low-profile nets of no more than 15 meshes in height under the following provisions:

• The nets may be set only on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights, no sooner than one hour before sunset each night, and retrieved no later than one hour after sunrise the following morning;
• Fishermen must use a lead core or leaded bottom line, but they may not use cork, floats or other buoys, except those required for identification;
• The regulations will limit fishermen to 100-yard sets with at least 25 yards between the separate lengths of net. Fishermen may not use more than a total of 2,000 yards of large mesh gill net per vessel; and
• The restrictions will not apply to run-around, strike or drop nets that are used to surround a school of fish and then are immediately retrieved.

Fishermen must obtain a permit from the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries to fish in the Pamlico Sound Gill Net Restricted Area. They must allow onboard fisheries observers, and make weekly reports to the Division of Marine Fisheries.

Those fishing in the Pamlico Sound Gill Net Restricted Area also must report any interactions with sea turtles to the division.

“Fishermen need to understand the importance of complying with this portion of the permit requirements,” Daniel said. “These reports help validate the observer information, and they help the division identify hot spots that could be closed to allow the rest of the fishery to remain open.”

Daniel intends to issue a proclamation later, effective Sept. 20, to allow large-mesh gill net fishing in the Pamlico Sound Gill Net Restricted Area under the same gear restrictions as last year, which are provided in a federal incidental take permit issued under Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act (Section 10 permit).  

The decision to wait until Sept. 20 to implement the measures in the Pamlico Sound Gill Net Restricted Area Incidental Take Permit was made in an attempt to maximize the harvest of southern flounder from the large-mesh gill net fishery while avoiding interactions with sea turtles.

Core Sound, which is not covered by the incidental take permit, will close to large-mesh gill net fishing if a high number of sea turtle interactions occur.

The Pamlico Sound Gill Net Restricted Area will close to large-mesh gill net fishing on Nov. 30, but will close prior to Nov. 30 if the allowable number of sea turtle interactions as authorized by incidental take permit is met.

All of Pamlico Sound will reopen Jan. 1 to large-mesh gill net fishing.

All other internal coastal waters of the state remain under the current regulations for large-mesh gill nets, which can be found online at http://www.ncfisheries.net/procs/procs2k10/M-14-2010.html.

For more information, please contact David Taylor, division Fisheries Management Section chief, at (252) 808-8074 or (800) 682-2632 or [email protected].

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