Releases May 27, 2010
The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission recently revised regulations to address interactions with sea turtles in the state’s gill net fishery and settle the recent lawsuit filed in federal court.
The regulations have taken effect and apply year-round to all gill nets between 4-inches and 6 ½-inches stretched mesh that are fished as set nets in internal coastal waters, except in the Albemarle and Currituck sounds and their tributaries.
The regulations will not apply to run-around, strike, or drop nets that are used to surround a school of fish and then are immediately retrieved. Also, the Pamlico Sound Gill Net Restricted Area will be exempt from these regulations while it operates under an Incidental Take Permit (Section 10 Permit) during the September through December 2010 season.
Under the revised regulations, gill nets must meet the following conditions:
(1) They must be set only on weeknights–set no sooner than one hour before sunset on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and retrieved no later than one hour after sunrise the following morning;
(2) They may be no more than 15 meshes in height;
(3) They may not be fished without a lead core or leaded bottom line;
(4) They may not have floats or other buoys except those required for identification north of the B. Cameron Langston Bridge on N.C. 58 in Emerald Isle. Floats will be allowed on nets fished south of the N.C. 58 Bridge in Emerald Isle;
(5) No fishing operation may use more than a total of 2,000 yards of net in any combination at one time in any waters impacted by these regulations. No fishing operation may set more than a total of 1,000 yards of net in any combination at one time south of the N.C. 58 Bridge in Emerald Isle;
(6) No more than 100 yards of net may be set in a continuous line;
(7) There must be at least 25 yards between separate lengths of net.
The measures were adopted to settle a lawsuit filed against the commission, the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, and Director Louis Daniel in federal court by the Duke Environmental Law and Policy Clinic on behalf of the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. The lawsuit claims violations of the Endangered Species Act regarding unauthorized sea turtle interactions with gill nets.
Radio checks are (or at least should be) a part of the preparation for any day offshore, and SeaTow Wrightsville Beach has just streamlined the process, providing an easy (and automated) way for boaters to confirm their radios are transmitting and receiving. In addition, they are clearing up the traffic on emergency channel 16 at the same time.
“All people have to do,” says SeaTow WB’s Capt. Scott Collins, “is go to channel 28 and say whatever they want to. It can be ‘radio check, radio check,’ it can be ‘I love my wife,’ whatever. The automated system will come on and identify itself, then in a few seconds it will play back whatever message the boater transmits to confirm that their radios are sending and receiving clearly.”
Not only does this remove the need for another person to respond to a radio check call, perfect for early morning departures, but it also allows the US Coast Guard’s channel 16 to return to its intended use—emergency communications only.
The Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina invites you to their Annual Legislative Day in Raleigh on Wednesday, June 2nd. This is a unique opportunity for recreational anglers to come together to visit with and inform state legislators about issues that affect our coastal resource. By speaking with and distributing informational packets to our state Legislators, CCA wishes to further identify themselves and the legislative agenda they are supporting.
The Legislative Day agenda begins at 8:00 am with Breakfast for Conservation. They will meet at the Legislative cafeteria to host a breakfast for the Congressional members of the House Marine Resources Committee, Senate Agriculture & Environmental Committee, and the NC Sportsmen’s Caucus.
Then at 9:00 am it’s “Walk the Halls” Following a CCA informational meeting in the cafeteria, participants will visit with State Congressional Members
Legislative Day participants are also invited to stay and observe the House and Senate Sessions later in the day starting at 2:00 pm (optional).
The location is the North Carolina Legislative Building, 16 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601 (Across from the State Capital…note: Cafeteria is on the lower level).
For parking, pass the Legislative Building and turn left on North Wilmington. Merge left at the end of the block and you will essentially turn around onto North Salisbury Street. Visitor parking is located at the third parking deck on the right (Deck #75). The Legislative Office Building and the Legislative Building are located on the left side of the road.
For more information, please contact CCA NC at (919) 781-3474, or visit online at www.ccanc.org.
Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has teamed up with Mariners Learning System to offer BoatUS members a way to enhance their boating knowledge or start a career in the marine industry. The new partnership offers a suite of six US Coast Guard-approved online captain’s licensing courses, from “six pack” to master 25/50/100 ton licenses, that can be taken online in the comfort of home or on the road and at your own pace.
The Mariner’s Learning System incorporates broadcast quality, on-demand audio lectures, professionally produced training videos, and online computer-based training. Included is access to online instructors, each a Coast Guard-licensed master who has gone through a rigorous Coast Guard approval process to become an instructor. In addition, toll-free telephone support and access to staff instructors is provided.
Upon completion of a course, taking a proctored exam, and meeting other requirements such as documenting sea time and passing an physical examination, BoatUS members simply submit, within one year, the application package to the nearest Coast Guard Regional Exam Center. Upon review and approval, they will issue the license. To date the system has trained more than 15,000 students with a 98.7% exam pass rate.
“These courses are also available on MP4 players, Blackberries, iPhones, and other smart phones, so you can learn anywhere, anytime,” said David Mann, BoatUS membership programs manager.
For more information, go to www.BoatUS.com/membership/mls.asp.
The Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina (CCA NC) applauds the Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) for voting to go into compliance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) weakfish management plan. With that vote, the recommendation of a 100 pound trip limit for commercial and a 1 fish bag limit for recreational is in effect. The weakfish stock has declined precipitously in recent years; the spawning stock is currently estimated to be less than 5% of an unfished stock. The ASMFC put these restrictive limits in place as a compromise instead of a complete moratorium.
At its last meeting, the NC MFC ignored the advice of the NC Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) and the plight of the stock and voted to not go into compliance with the weakfish fishery management plan, essentially thumbing their nose at the ASMFC.
In response, the ASFMC found North Carolina out of compliance and outlined what the state must do to come into compliance. A common misconception, the ASMFC is not a federal board out to shut down state fisheries; it is a commission that was formed by the 15 Atlantic states all whom recognize that fish don’t adhere to political boundaries. If the MFC hadn’t voted to comply, it could have resulted in complete closure of the fishery and would have had negatively impacted efforts to rebuild the stock. “It is reassuring to know that the majority of the members in the MFC understand the significance of this issue and are concerned about policies that may have a negative impact on it,” said Stephen Ammons, Executive Director of CCA NC. “We realize the task of the MFC is a hard and sometimes arduous process, but it is refreshing to see it work for the protection of the resource.”
