Releases – August 21, 2014
In recent years, white sharks Mary Lee and Katherine have made the occasional visit to the waters off southeastern North Carolina. Now the researcher who helped tag these magnificent animals and make the world aware of their migration paths will visit the Wilmington area for the first time.
The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher and Cape Fear Community College present an evening with OCEARCH Founding Chairman and Expedition Leader Chris Fischer at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 8, 2014, at CFCC’s Union Station, 502 North Front Street.
Fischer presents “Sharks: The Impossible is Possible,” speaking about how he and his one-of-a-kind team provide impossible access to the ocean’s apex predators for the world’s leading scientists. Fisher will share his own compelling journey to becoming a recognized leader in ocean exploration, research, conservation, and education. He will also talk about a new cutting edge curriculum based on the Global Shark Tracker used by millions all over the world. The presentation will conclude with a question and answer session.
Since 2007, Fischer has led 20 global expeditions to advance science and education while unlocking the many mysteries surrounding the life of white sharks and other ocean giants. His work with OCEARCH has been aired on the National Geographic Channel and HISTORY. He has spent time with multiple presidents and world leaders in his quest to Educate, Inspire, and Enable—and help ensure a future for our world’s oceans.
Tickets for the event are $10 and only available in advance (no tickets will be sold at the door). To purchase tickets visit www.ncaquariums.com/fort-fisher or call (910) 458-7468.
Many of you have already heard or read about the lawsuit filed last Monday by the North Carolina Fisheries Association and the Carteret County Fisherman’s Association (plaintiffs) against multiple state and federal natural resource management agencies under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The plaintiffs in this lawsuit accuse these agencies of failing to enforce the ESA by allowing recreational, hook and line fishermen to take five species of protected sea turtles without a permit.
In seeking relief from the court, the plaintiffs primarily ask the court to do two things: (1) order government resource agencies to undertake new sea turtle stock assessments to determine if turtles have recovered to the point where federal protection is no longer warranted (plaintiffs contention), and (2) shut down the recreational hook and line fishery until such time as an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) is issued for the fishery.
It is likely not coincidental that this lawsuit comes at a time when the commercial fishing industry is feeling additional pressure from both federal and state fisheries management agencies as a result of the failure of commercial gillnet fishermen to comply with the conditions of their own sea turtle ITP.
It is our understanding that it could take up to six months to prosecute the lawsuit, and then another 18 months or longer for an ITP to be issued if plaintiffs were successful in their lawsuit. While we are confident that plaintiffs will ultimately fail in their request to close the recreational hook and line fishery, the threat of shutting down recreational fishing for an extended period of time is very serious and the implications of the lawsuit extend well beyond North Carolina.
As CCANC has indicated in previous communications, we are closely watching the lawsuit as it unfolds and carefully weighing our legal options. In doing so, CCANC is in constant communication with both our own General Counsel and with CCA National General Counsel. Be assured that we will pursue the best legal course of action to protect the interests of CCA members, other recreational fishermen, and the public at large. Additionally, we have been in ongoing discussions with CCA National this week on its findings on the national implications for this lawsuit and CCA National’s response to it. CCA has a long history of legal successes in defense of recreational fishing interests, and CCANC is confident in our alliance against this latest threat to North Carolina’s recreational fishing interests. Our goal, and our pledge, is to keep you—our membership—appropriately informed as this important issue unfolds over the coming weeks and months. We urge each of you to be vigilant in this matter and ready to act when called upon.
Please remember the quarterly Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) meetings will be held in Raleigh next week. Another strong showing by CCA members during the public comment segments on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning like the one we had in Pine Knoll Shores last May, goes a long way toward showing the unity of CCANC in our support of responsible fisheries management. Please contact your local chapter or the state office for more information on the MFC meeting agenda. And remember to check our website for the schedule of upcoming fall banquets and lend your support wherever possible.
Can’t make it to the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission in Raleigh this week? How about listening to it over the Internet?
For the first time, the Marine Fisheries Commission will offer a live webcast of its Aug. 20-22 meeting. Up to 200 participants can listen to audio and view presentations in real-time on a first-come, first-served basis.
Directions for participating in the webcast, including information on system requirements and testing, can be found at http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/listen-online.
A Wednesday night public comment period will begin with an informal question-and-answer session at 6:00 p.m. The commission will hold a more formal public comment period at 6:30 p.m.
Public comment will not be allowed from webcast participants.
The business meeting begins at 9:00 a.m. Thursday and at 8:30 a.m. Friday.
An agenda for the meeting can be found at http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/aug-2014-briefing-book.
Beginning July 25, fishermen who set large-mesh gill nets in the Albemarle and Currituck sounds and tributaries will be limited to overnight soaks.
“This action is being taken to avoid altogether closing the waters in these areas to anchored large-mesh gill nets,” said Louis Daniel, director of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. The regulations will also apply to Croatan and Roanoke sounds and tributaries when they reopen to anchored large-mesh gill nets.
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries received a warning letter from the National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Protected Resources after failing to meet the 7 percent minimum observer coverage for these waters in the spring fishing season, as required by the Sea Turtle Incidental Take Permit. The letter stated that failure to comply with the permit conditions could result in enforcement action, and it strongly encouraged the division to meet the permit requirements for the summer season.
Currently, fishermen in these waters are required to fish their large mesh gill nets at least once by noon each day, but there are no other regulations that require them to fish their nets at a specified time.
The lack of undesignated fishing times, insufficient staff resources, funding issues, weather conditions, and stiff resistance from fishermen, has made it difficult for division staff to observe the number of fishing trips necessary to satisfy the conditions of the Sea Turtle Incidental Take Permit.
“Unfortunately, observers have noticed fishermen purposely avoiding fishing their nets when division staff is around and, in some cases, fishermen have pointedly refused to take observers on board,” Daniel said.
To remedy this problem, fishermen will be required to remove anchored large-mesh gill nets from these waters between one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset each day, as is already required in many other water bodies of the state.
“We believe the implementation of soak times, combined with an upcoming gill net permit to be required Sept. 1, will resolve this issue,” said Daniel. “But it is critical that fishermen comply with these regulations, including taking observers, if the anchored large-mesh gill net fishery is to continue in these waters.”
The National Marine Fisheries Service has agreed to this approach.
For specific regulations, see Proclamation M-22-2014 at http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/proclamations.
For more information, contact Jacob Boyd with the Observer Program at (252) 808-8088 or Jacob.Boyd@ncdenr.gov.
