Releases – April 14, 2011
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has completed renovations on the Federal Point Boating Access area and opened it to the public.
The Federal Point Boating Access Area, off U.S. 421 in Kure Beach, has newly paved parking lots for both trailers and single vehicles, a boardwalk for beach access and concrete sidewalks. Last winter, during the first phase of the renovation, the site received new ramps, floating docks, a new concrete apron, filled basin and new bulkhead, breakwater and a retaining wall.
“These renovations will make access to Buzzard Bay easier and more convenient for boaters who come from across the state to this extremely popular spot,” said Erik Christofferson, chief of the Commission’s Division of Engineering Services. “We are grateful for the partnerships with other agencies that allowed us to make these renovations to Federal Point.”
A large portion of phase one was funded from a Division of Coastal Management Grant. Phase two was funded through sales of the Coastal Recreational Fishing License. Additional costs were covered by motorboat registration receipts.
Renovations to the Snow’s Cut Boating Access Area in Carolina Beach also have been completed.
The Commission received $500,000 in funding from sales of the Coastal Recreational Fishing License to assist in the improvements. About $400,000 from motorboat registration receipts also went toward the cost.
Improvements to the site include more than 100 feet of additional dock space, plus new make-ready and tie-down lanes. The site also now has an additional launch lane, for a total of five boat ramps, 83 trailer parking spaces, and 16 single vehicle spaces.
“The Division of Marine Fisheries is happy to work with the Wildlife Resources Commission on this type of multi-use project that provides fishing access to different types of coastal recreational anglers,” said Division of Marine Fisheries Director Louis Daniel.
For more information on boating in North Carolina, visit the boating page on www.ncwildlife.org.
In an effort to keep recreational fishermen from exceeding annual catch limits (ACLs) set for black sea bass in the coming fishing year, members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved an amendment that, if approved by the Secretary of Commerce, will reduce the recreational bag limit for black sea bass from 15 per person/day to 5 per person/day beginning June 1, 2011. The recreational fishery for black sea bass closed on February 12th of this year after NOAA Fisheries Service projected the recreational allocation of 409,000 pounds had been met.
The fishing year for black sea bass in the South Atlantic region is from June 1st through May 31st. The recreational allocation includes both private anglers and for-hire (charter and headboat) landings and represents 57% of the total ACL.
The Council approved Regulatory Amendment 9 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan during its meeting in St. Simons Island, GA. In addition to decreasing the bag limit for black sea bass, the amendment also allows that in the future any unused portion of the ACL may be carried over from one fishing year to the next. However, under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, for stocks listed as overfished, any overages of the current ACL must be deducted from the next fishing year’s ACL.
The black sea bass stock is currently listed as overfished, and recreational anglers may have exceeded the ACL this past season. NOAA Fisheries Service is responsible for providing the final catch numbers and will do so prior to June 1st.
A new benchmark stock assessment for black sea bass will be completed later this year and the results presented to the Council during its December 5-9, 2011 meeting in Raleigh, NC. The stock is currently in year 5 of a 10 year rebuilding program, and the Council may develop additional management measures based on the updated stock assessment.
Fishermen have repeatedly provided comments to the Council regarding the negative economic impacts of the recreational closure that began in February. Charter and headboat operators rely on black sea bass for their fishing trips during the shallow-water grouper spawning season closure from January through April, an annual recreational vermilion snapper closed season November through March, and the current year-round prohibition on the harvest of red snapper for both commercial and recreational fishermen.
In addition to measures affecting black sea bass, Regulatory Amendment 9 would also create commercial trip limits of 1500 pounds gutted weight (gw) for vermilion snapper and 1000 pounds (gw) for gag, both measures designed to help extend the fishing season. The proposed trip limit for greater amberjack would increase slightly from 1,000 to 1,200 pounds (gw).
The Council’s intent is to have the amendment approved by the Secretary of Commerce in time to implement the management measures, including the bag limit reductions for black sea bass, by June 1, 2011.
NOAA Fisheries Service has published a final rule implementing Amendment 17B to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Amendment 17B). This final rule establishes annual catch limits (ACLs) and accountability measures (AMs) for nine snapper-grouper species (golden tilefish, snowy grouper, speckled hind, warsaw grouper, gag, red grouper, black grouper, black sea bass, and vermilion snapper) as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
ACLs are set at levels that prevent overfishing (when the rate of removals is too high). AMs are management controls established to ensure that ACLs are not exceeded, or they may correct for overages if ACLs are exceeded during a fishing season.
In addition to specifying ACLs and AMs for nine snapper-grouper species, Amendment 17B allocates 97 percent of the golden tilefish ACL to the commercial sector and 3 percent of the ACL to the recreational sector, and specifies management measures intended to address overfishing, including: (1) a prohibition on harvest and retention of speckled hind and warsaw grouper in federal waters of the South Atlantic; (2) a prohibition on harvest and retention of snowy grouper, blueline tilefish, yellowedge grouper, misty grouper, queen snapper, and silk snapper, beyond 240 feet (73 m) in federal waters of the South Atlantic; and (3) a bag limit reduction for snowy grouper from one fish per person per day, to one fish per vessel per day.
All measures in Amendment 17B will be effective January 31, 2011.
Electronic copies of the final rule may be obtained from the e-Rulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s website at www.safmc.net, or by mail at NOAA Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office Sustainable Fisheries Division, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701.
Information on these and other actions contained in Amendment 17B can be found on the Council’s website at www.safmc.net.
Have we got a fish story for you…
Oak Island Parks & Recreation Department is offering the annual fishing program called “WAIT!” or Women Anglers In Training!
The WAIT! program is for beginner and advanced women anglers only, and it promises to put female participants at ease and develop their potential as anglers.
OI Parks & Rec has created a stress free environment where women can ask questions and try their hand at a variety of angling activities. This two-day experience will introduce surf fishing, pier fishing, bottom fishing, tying lures, trolling with live bait, king fishing, flounder fishing, net casting, and much more.
The event concludes with a daylong fishing trip on Sunday either on the pier or by boat. Participants will receive two-days of fishing instruction, numerous samples, door prizes, lunch both days, and much more.
The dates of the event are April 30-May 1, and the cost is $49.00.
For more information or to register, call Rebecca Squires at (910) 278-4747, or you can visit www.oakislandnc.com/recreation.
The year 2010 was a very good year for the Long Bay Artificial Reef Association (LBARA) projects program.
In July of 2009, the LBARA applied for a grant for a reef enhancement project. The funds for this grant were available through the North Carolina Coastal Recreational Fishing License fees.
In 2010 the project deployed 1000 tons of assorted sizes of concrete pipes to each of two sites, one of which was AR 460 located just off Shallotte Inlet and the other was AR 440 located just off Lockwood Folly Inlet.
All deployments were under the watchful eye of Jim Francesconi and crew from the NCDMF Artificial Reef Group.
The cost of this project was estimated at $255,500. A total of $244,500 was to come from the CRFL grant and the balance from LBARA funds. The LBARA funds were raised primarily through fishing clubs and fishing tournaments.
Stevens Towing’s 500-ton barge required two trips to each reef site. This worked out well because the plan was to deploy in two separate areas on each site. This method would establish a “High Density, High Profile” area to attract pelagic species and a “Dispersed Low Density” area that has proven to attract ground fish species.
You can see side scan photos of the areas by going to the Photo Gallery link at www.lbara.com.
The LBARA goal was to come in on budget and by their self imposed scheduled completion date of October 30, 2010. The association reached both goals, making the final deployment on October 9, 2010, and under budget by approximately 20%.
AR 430 is the new reef site that is now moving through the permit stage. The reef site will be located approximately 2.5 miles south/southwest of Ocean Crest Pier on Oak Island, NC.
