Releases – August 14, 2014
NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on a proposed rule to implement Framework Amendment 1 to the Fishery Management Plan for Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Region. The proposed rule for Framework Amendment 1 published in the Federal Register (79 FR 44369) on July 31, 2014, and the comment period ends on September 2, 2014.
Recent stock assessments for Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic migratory group spanish mackerel indicate the stocks are healthy, and catch levels can be increased.
If implemented, the proposed rule would increase the combined commercial and recreational catch limit for spanish mackerel in the Gulf of Mexico from 5.15 million pounds to 12.7 million pounds in 2014-2015, and then decrease to 11.8 million pounds in 2015-2016, and 11.3 million pounds in 2016-2017.
In the South Atlantic, the proposed rule would increase the catch limit for spanish mackerel from 5.69 million pounds to 6.063 million pounds; with 3.330 million pounds (55%) allocated to the commercial sector and 2.727 million pounds (45%) allocated to the recreational sector.
Framework Amendment 1 may be obtained from: (1) the NOAA Fisheries website or (2) the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s website at www.safmc.net.
You may submit comments by the following methods:
Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2014-0075 click the “Comment Now!” icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments.
Mail: NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office, Sustainable Fisheries Division, c/o Karla Gore, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5505.
NOAA Fisheries will accept anonymous comments. Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only. Comments received through means not specified in this bulletin may not be considered.
NOAA Fisheries requests comments on a proposed action to re-define the overfished (the population is too small) threshold for select snapper-grouper species. The proposed rule for Regulatory Amendment 21 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Regulatory Amendment 21) published in the Federal Register on August 1, 2014 [79 FR 44735].
The proposed action is administrative in nature and would establish new criteria for determining when red snapper, blueline tilefish, gag, black grouper, yellowtail snapper, vermilion snapper, red porgy, and greater amberjack are overfished.
Establishing a new threshold for determining whether or not the above species are considered overfished is expected to prevent the need for restrictive management actions when reductions in the population are due to non-fishing related factors i.e., naturally occurring events such as weather or water temperature shifts.
Comments on the proposed rule must be received no later than September 2, 2014, to be considered by NOAA Fisheries. See the Addresses section for information on where and how to submit comments.
The Framework Action and the proposed rule may be obtained from the NOAA Fisheries website.
You may submit comments by the following methods:
Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2014-0039 click the “Comment Now!” icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments.
Mail: NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office, Sustainable Fisheries Division, c/o Kate Michie, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701.
NOAA Fisheries will accept anonymous comments. Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only. Comments received through means not specified in this bulletin may not be considered.
Thirty-six years ago a group of forty community leaders met and decided that they needed an event to showcase the great fall fishing the Southport-Oak Island area has to offer. Those community leaders signed a promissory note at a local financial institution guaranteeing the $10,000 first place prize money for the first tournament—thus the U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament was born.
The U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament is one of the largest king mackerel tournaments on the East Coast, attracting 425 boats in 2013. An all cash guaranteed prize structure adds to the enjoyment of the event. The tournament guarantees its entire prize structure; it is not based on the number of boats that participate.
The tournament pays 55 places in its primary prize category, including $25,000 for the largest king mackerel. Thirty sponsors (such as the Primary Sponsor, Southport Marina, and Grand Patron sponsors, BEMC, Dosher Memorial Hospital) add 50 more supplementary cash prizes to the event.
New for 2014 are Daily Aggregate Weight Prizes and Junior Angler Awards. The Daily Aggregate Weight Prizes are sponsored by SeaTow and the tournament. Each day a $1,000 Aggregate Prize will be given to the boat that catches the most poundage from combining the weights from two or three fish. Since the Aggregate Prize will be part of the Primary Prize Category and you can only win one Primary Prize, the 1st -9th place largest fish will not win the Aggregate Prize.
The Junior Angler Awards (sponsored by Orpine Boat Soap and the tournament) will be presented to Junior Anglers (children age 14 and under) during the Awards Ceremony on Saturday. Every registered Junior Angler present at the ceremony will receive an award as a way to recognize those young anglers in the tournament.
Don’t fish? There’s still plenty of excitement going on at the Southport Marina. Thursday and Saturday nights there will be entertainment. Enjoy as Music Man DJ Rodney spins your favorite tunes on Thursday night from 4:00 pm-7:00 pm and Chris Wright on Saturday night from 4:30 pm-7:00 pm.
The smell of fish cooking will be in the air on Saturday as the Brunswick County Shrine Club will hold a good old-fashioned fish fry beginning at 3:00 pm. Fish plates are $8.00.
Can’t make it to the tournament or want to check out the weigh-ins from the convenience of your home? PointClickFish.com will stream weigh-ins at the scales live from the U.S. Open King Mackerel Fishing Tournament on Friday from 2:00 pm-5:00 pm and Saturday from 2:00 pm-4:00 pm. You can pick up the link to the live feed from the tournament website at www.usopenkmt.com.
Friday is always exciting as the boats rush to checkout between 7:00 am-9:00 am at Lockwood Folly Inlet, N.C. Baptist Assembly Pier at Fort Caswell, Little River, Masonboro Inlet, and Snows Cut. The action really heats up between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm when the boats line up to weigh in at Southport Marina before the scales close.
Have some refreshments, and buy a t-shirt and enjoy the fun. Saturday’s fishing is over at 4:00 pm with the awards ceremony at 7:00 pm.
This year’s tournament will be held October 3rd and 4th at the Southport Marina, Southport, North Carolina, with registration on Thursday, October 2nd from 10:00 am until midnight.
Tournament details and a list of sponsors (including our media sponsors Coastal Carolina Fisherman and South Brunswick Magazine) are available on our website, www.usopenkmt.com, or for a brochure contact the Southport-Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce, 4433 Long Beach Road, SE, Southport, NC 28461. You can also call (910) 457-5787 or (800) 457-6964 or e-mail us at events@southport-oakisland.com.
