Better days are coming for anglers as huge quantities of common carp will soon be out of the…
Better days are coming for anglers as huge quantities of common carp will soon be out of the way in Lake Mattamuskeet in Eastern North Carolina. Thanks to a $1 million grant from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, large numbers of common carp will soon be removed from the popular fishing spot. Freshwater fish found in Lake Mattamuskeet include largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, sunfish, and striped bass.
“Lake Mattamuskeet is the centerpiece of Hyde County,” said Kendall Smith, refuge manager at Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge. “It has provided a prime source of outdoor recreation for years and continues to be treasured even in its impaired state.”
Invasive carp, like those in Lake Mattamuskeet, compete with native fish for the natural resources and destroy the natural aquatic habitat. Carp degrade water quality by muddying the waters and uprooting aquatic plants. Their destruction also negatively impacts migratory wintering waterfowl that feed on the plants.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has partnered with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to get rid of the carp, whose activity blocks sunlight the underwater plants need to grow and uproots necessary vegetation for other wildlife. Several years ago, barriers were installed at the lake’s four tide gates to keep adult carp from entering the lake. Now, the ones still in the lake must go.
The Service awarded WSB the contract to clear approximately 1 million pounds of carp from Lake Mattamuskeet. During a similar large-scale carp removal effort in the 1940s and 1950s, large haul seines, baited traps, and pound nets were used successfully. Another approach, known as the modified unified method, utilizes large seines and herding methods to move carp into nets successfully. Once netted, carp are extracted from the lake. WSB will utilize a combination of these removal methods.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investment will improve the natural environment of the 40,000-acre Lake Mattamuskeet and four outlet canals. Combatting aquatic invasive species, like the carp in Lake Mattamuskeet, protects wildlife, improves water quality, supports the community, and restores the natural ecosystem and habitat.
Matt Frattasio, from Massachusetts, with the new state record Almaco Jack. The 26-pound, 15.6 oz. fish was caught using live menhaden near the D Wreck off of Morehead City.
“Removing a large amount of the carp and keeping the population low will improve water quality by increasing sunlight and decreasing the sediment they stir up, which clouds the water,” Smith said. “Better water quality will allow underwater plants to grow, providing a healthier habitat for birds and fish and a better experience for our neighbors and friends who enjoy Lake Mattamuskeet.”
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries recently established a new state record for Almaco Jack (Seriola rivoliana). Matt Frattasio, of Massachusetts, caught the 26-pound, 15.6-ounce fish near the D Wreck off Morehead City on Nov. 8. There was no previous state record in North Carolina. Georgia and Florida’s state records stand at 7-pounds 0.7-ounce, and 35-pounds 9-ounces, respectively.
Frattasio was aboard Riptide Charters fishing in approximately 80 feet of water. He landed the fish using live menhaden and 50-pound braid on a Daiwa Saltist MQ 14000 reel paired with a Hogy Tuna jigging rod.
Frattasio’s fish measured 36.4 inches fork length (from the tip of the nose to the fork in the tail) and had a 26-inch girth. The fish was weighed and identified by fisheries staff at the Morehead City office of the Division of Marine Fisheries Headquarters. For more information on state record fish, go to the division’s State Saltwater Records webpage or contact the North Carolina Saltwater Fishing Tournament staff at saltwater.citations@deq.nc.gov.
The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission today took a further step toward recovery of the striped mullet fishery, voting to send the Draft Striped Mullet Fishery Management Plan Amendment 2 for public and advisory committee review. The public comment period, including public meetings, will be held Dec. 18-Jan. 17. Details will be announced later.
The 2022 stock assessment indicated the striped mullet stock is overfished and overfishing is occurring, and the draft plan proposes options for rebuilding the stock within a legally required timeframe. Options in the draft plan include: Size limits, Season closures, Area closures, Trip limits, Combinations of measures, Day of the week management, A catch cap on the stop net fishery, Recreational vessel and bag limits, For-hire vessel and bag limits, and Adaptive management.
The Division of Marine Fisheries has initially recommended the following measures, which are subject to change based on public and advisory committee input:
(1) 50-pound trip limit Jan. 1-31 and Nov. 16-Dec 31,
(2) Year-round Saturday through Sunday 50-pound trip limit,
(3) 500-pound trip limit Feb.1-Oct.15,
(4) 30,000-pound stop net catch cap,
(5) 50 fish recreational individual bag limit,
(6) For-hire vessel bag limit equal to the number of anglers they are licensed to carry (including possession in advance of a trip), and
(7) Adaptive management.
YouTube recordings of the meeting are available on the Division of Marine Fisheries’ website at www.deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/marine-fisheries/marine-fisheries-commission/marine-fisheries-commission-meetings.
Recently, members of the bipartisan Congressional Boating Caucus heard from recreational boating and fishing industry stakeholders about how a proposed rule expansion could severely restrict boating access along the Atlantic Seaboard. Under the Department of Commerce, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has proposed expanding its North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule. The proposed changes do not improve protections for the North Atlantic right whale, put boater safety at risk, raise privacy concerns, severely limit boater access to the Atlantic Ocean, and will significantly harm coastal economies and livelihoods.
“We applaud members of Congress coming together in a bipartisan fashion to hear the concerns of the boating and fishing community,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, NMMA president. “NOAA’s harmful proposal would create one of the largest restrictions of Americans’ access to public waterways, put families at risk on the water, and have a devastating impact on economies up and down the Atlantic Coast. We will continue to engage NOAA and work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to find ways to protect the right whale that do not come at the expense of small businesses and American livelihoods.”
The proposed rule, if implemented, would have significant detrimental effects on recreational boating, tourism, and the economy. Under the proposed expansion, all boats over 35-feet cannot travel faster than 10 knots, or about 11 mph, within a vast area extending from Massachusetts to central Florida. These speed zones would extend as far as 90 miles offshore, and last for up to 7 months, deterring citizens and businesses from venturing out to sea. This rule comes at a time of record inflation and when the U.S. marine industry is facing headwinds due to supply chain issues, rising prices, and international competition.
This unprecedented rule expansion is not supported by research or NOAA’s published facts and does not reflect input from the boating and fishing industries. In the proposed rule, NOAA casts no distinction between a 35-foot boat that drafts only 3-feet versus a massive oceangoing vessel that drafts 45-feet. Studies show most fatal whale strikes come from boats over 260 feet. Since 2008, there has been one documented U.S. instance of a recreational boat under 65 feet—outside of the already existing speed zones—striking a North Atlantic right whale and causing death. There are more than 60,000 boats between 35-65 feet on the Atlantic Ocean that took more than 5 million trips over the last 15 years, meaning that the chance of a small boat striking a North Atlantic right whale is exceptionally low.
Recreational boating is not only a cherished American pastime, but also a major contributor to the economy. Recreational boating generates $230 billion in economic activity annually, supporting thousands of businesses and more than 800,000 jobs across the country. By limiting boaters’ access to the Atlantic Ocean, the proposed rule directly threatens the livelihoods of countless individuals and businesses in coastal communities.
The conversation during the Congressional briefing centered around the importance of finding a viable path forward in which NOAA utilizes the best available technology and industry and stakeholder engagement to inform its rulemaking. Protecting endangered species is a top priority for the marine industry, and the briefing focused on finding ways to do so without destroying the economic drivers of U.S. coastal communities.
