Releases – November 15, 2012
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will take a more in-depth look at ways to reduce bycatch in the state’s shrimp fishery.
The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission voted last week to initiate the process of amending the state’s Shrimp Fishery Management Plan. Through this process, an advisory committee will explore issues surrounding bycatch and recommend management strategies to address these issues.
In the coming weeks, the division will send out a news release soliciting for applications from those who wish to serve on this committee.
The division is required by law to review each fishery management plan every five years and determine if changes in rules or management strategies are needed. If changes in management strategies or rules are needed, the division pursues a plan amendment, where division staff and an advisory committee develop positions on specific issues that need to be addressed. If no changes in management strategies are required, the division proceeds with a revision, which is a more abbreviated process that involves updating data and fishery information contained in the plan.
The division had initially determined that no rules or management changes were needed at this time in the shrimp fishery and took a draft revision out for public comment. After receiving a great number of comments from the public that expressed concern about bycatch in the shrimp trawl fishery, the division shifted its position and recommended that the commission begin the amendment process.
The commission also selected its preferred management measures for the commercial fishery for a draft amendment to the state’s Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan. These draft management measures set minimum regulations for the commercial flounder fishery that, if adopted, will remain in place even if restrictions to protect sea turtles are relaxed. These limit large mesh gill net sets to: (1) Four nights per week (Monday -Thursday) north of Beaufort Inlet, excluding Albemarle, Croatan and Roanoke sounds and Pamlico, Pungo, Neuse and Bay rivers; (2) Five nights per week (Sunday -Thursday) south of Beaufort Inlet; (3) A maximum of 2,000 yards per fishing operation from Croatan and Roanoke sounds to Beaufort Inlet; (4) A maximum of 1,000 yards per fishing operation from Beaufort Inlet to the South Carolina line; (5) A maximum of 3,000 yards per fishing operation in the Albemarle, Croatan and Roanoke sounds and Pamlico, Pungo, Neuse and Bay rivers.
The above represents the least restrictive management measures that could be in place to end overfishing and rebuild southern flounder stocks. However, more restrictive measures may be put in place to reduce interactions with protected species. For example, regulations restricting the use of large mesh gill nets in Albemarle Sound to 2,000 yards to reduce interactions with endangered Atlantic sturgeon remain in place.
The draft amendment, which already includes previously selected recreational measures, will come back before the commission for final approval at its February meeting after review by the secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and a legislative committee.
In other business, the commission:
Approved a draft American Shad Sustainable Fishery Plan for fisheries in the Albemarle/Roanoke, Tar/Pamlico, Neuse and Cape Fear river systems. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is requiring all states to adopt an American Shad Sustainable Fishery Plan in order to continue this fishery.
Changed the commercial trip limit for weakfish back to 100 pounds. The trip limit had been at 1,000 pounds but the weakfish catch could not exceed 10 percent of the total finfish catch. The change was requested by two commercial fishing groups that indicated the gray trout catch has been high in relation to other finfish. The two regulations are considered conservational equivalent by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
Moved forward with the administrative process for six rules that implement management measures from the N.C. Estuarine Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan. The draft rules will come back before the commission for final approval at its February meeting after a public comment period. The rules have an intended effective date of May 1, 2013.
For more information, contact Marine Fisheries Commission Liaison Nancy Fish at (252) 808-8021 or Nancy.Fish@ncdenr.gov.
The Town of Carolina Beach has made changes to the pricing structure of Freeman Park Annual Passes offered for the 2013 season. The Town is no longer offering a $60 annual pass. All annual passes will be $100 and will be available on December 1.
Annual passes are available at Island Tackle and Hardware and the Scotchman Convenience Store located on Canal Drive. Annual permits are also available at the Carolina Beach Parking Office, Carolina Beach Town Hall, and the Carolina Beach Recreation Center.
The Town Council will use the additional $40 in revenue to set aside for future Water Resource projects.
A Joint Coastal Recreational Fishing License Committee of the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission and N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will meet at 1:00 p.m., Dec. 4, at the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Regional Office, 943 Washington Square Mall, Washington.
For more information, contact N.C Division of Marine Fisheries Grants Program Manager Tiffany Frazier at (252) 808-8004 or (800) 682-2632 or Tiffany.Frazier@ncdenr.gov.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has completed renovations on the Poplar Branch Boating Access Area, and it is now open to the public.
The site, which gives boaters access to the Currituck Sound, has two new ramps, floating and fixed docks, a new bulkhead wall, and a newly paved parking area. It was paid for through Sportfish Restoration Fund and motorboat registration receipts.
“We get folks fishing for bass and white perch, but we mainly get duck hunters in Currituck County at this site,” said Ric Wright, a construction project manager with the Commission. “We also get a lot of boaters here, vacationing in this area of the state.”
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission manages more than 200 free boating access areas across the state. Go online at www.ncwildlife.org/Boating/WheretoBoat.aspx for an interactive map of all the sites.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has received the State Boating Access Program Excellence Award from a national organization devoted to the acquisition, development and administration of public recreational boating facilities.
The States Organization for Boating Access awarded the Wildlife Resources Commission with the honor during a conference in Alabama this fall. The Wildlife Commission maintains more than 200 free, public boating areas for close to 350,000 registered North Carolina vessels and a multitude of vessels trailered from other states.
“This award reflects a concerted effort among partners, such as local governments, the Division of Marine Fisheries, and the state legislature,” said Erik Christofferson, chief of the Commission’s Division of Engineering Services. “Outcomes of these partnerships have allowed us to build and improve boating access and keep open the doors to North Carolina’s public waters.”
Some of the Wildlife Commission’s accomplishments include: (1) Conducting a statewide boating access needs survey in 2007; (2) Working with the Division of Marine Fisheries and N.C. General Assembly on legislation that led to the approval of $20 million in funding for acquisition and construction of boating and waterfront projects in 2007; (3) Implementing a written agreement with the N.C. Department of Transportation that enables the DOT to work with the N.C. Wildlife boating program on access areas at bridge crossings across the state; (4) Creating a program in partnership with the N.C. Department of Corrections called the WISe Program, which utilizes inmates to build standardized boating access infrastructure items such as floating docks, signs and kiosks, as well as native plants, such as trees and bushes, for planting at boating access areas. This program has reduced costs related to the construction of access areas, created efficiencies within the boating program and standardized the look and feel of boating access areas; (5) Designing a user-friendly online and mobile device interactive mapping system of all boating access areas in North Carolina; (6) Completing an ADA assessment of all boating access areas and implementing a funding plan to upgrade all access areas to ADA compliance within a five-year time frame; and (7) Renovating or building nearly 70 boating access sites over the last four years.
In a landmark move last year, East Coast fishery managers—responding to a plea for action by fishermen and conservationists—committed to advancing new protections for Atlantic menhaden. Now the fishing community needs your help to make sure these plans become real improvements on the water.
Menhaden populations have plummeted 90 percent over the past 25 years and remain at an all-time low—just 10 percent of historic levels. Because these small fish are prey for larger animals, this decline threatens to disrupt coastal and marine food webs and affect the thousands of fishing and bird-watching businesses that menhaden help support.
We need to leave more menhaden in the ocean to promote their recovery. There is no limit on the total amount of these fish that can be caught at sea. Every year, hundreds of millions of them are ground up to make fertilizer; fish meal for farm animals, pets, and aquaculture; and oil for dietary supplements.
On Dec. 14, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will make decisions that are critical to the recovery of Atlantic menhaden and the ocean wildlife that depends on them for food.
Make the fishing community’s collective voice heard for sound fisheries management beginning with the Atlantic menhaden by sending an email to the Atlantic menhaden managers. Just visit www.nccamo.org and look for the “Action Alert” heading.
