Releases – August 8, 2013
The dates for the long-anticipated 2013 opening of the red snapper mini-season in the South Atlantic were recently announced by NOAA Fisheries. The fishery has been closed since January 2010 in order to rebuild the stock. In 2012, a limited harvest of red snapper was allowed through a temporary emergency rule, and managers determined that the retention of a limited number of red snapper beginning in 2013, along with the appropriate management controls, would not jeopardize the rebuilding of the stock if the annual catch limit (ACL) is not exceeded.
This year’s opening was dependent upon the July 19, 2013 publication of the Final Rule implementing Amendment 28 to the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan. The amendment establishes the process for determining if the fishing season will occur each year, an equation to determine the ACL, and management measures if fishing is allowed.
Measures include specified times for the annual opening beginning in 2014 (the second Friday in July for the recreational sector and the second Monday in July for the commercial fishery), elimination of the minimum size limit, recreational bag limits, and a commercial trip limit.
Accountability measures are also included that could impact the annual season if ACLs are exceeded. The recreational sector is allocated 72% of the ACL, and the commercial sector receives 28%. In 2012, the recreational sector exceeded its ACL during the two, three-day weekend openings in September, but the total ACL was not exceeded. It was determined that a single weekend opening this year would help prevent overages.
The Council is also considering development of a tag program for the harvest of red snapper and other species with low catch limits.
Commercial harvest of snowy grouper in South Atlantic waters will close, at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on August 10, 2013. Commercial harvest will reopen at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on January 1, 2014. The 2013 commercial catch limit is 82,900 pounds gutted weight. Reports indicate that commercial landings are rapidly approaching the 2013 catch limit.
The operator of a vessel with a federal commercial permit for snapper-grouper that is landing snowy grouper for sale must have landed and bartered, traded, or sold such snowy grouper prior to 12:01 a.m. (local time), August 10, 2013. The prohibition on sale does not apply to sale or purchase of snowy grouper that were harvested, landed ashore, and sold prior to 12:01 a.m. (local time), August 10, 2013, and held in cold storage by a dealer or processor.
During the closure:(1) Harvest or possession of snowy grouper is limited to the recreational bag and possession limits; (2) Sale and purchase of snowy grouper are prohibited; (3) The closure applies in both state and federal waters; and (4) The bag limit is zero for captain and crew on charter vessels and headboats.
This closure is necessary to protect the snapper-grouper population.
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is accepting public comment on a slate of proposed rule changes on a proposal to give the division director proclamation authority to manage the sheepshead fishery and other topics.
Three public hearings on the proposed rule changes are set for:
Sept. 17 at 6:00 p.m., N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, Central District Office, 5285 U.S. 70 West, Morehead City.
Sept. 18 at 6:00 p.m., N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Regional Office, 943 Washington Square Mall, Washington.
Sept. 19 at 6:00 p.m., N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Regional Office, 127 Cardinal Drive, Wilmington.
Sheepshead is a highly sought recreational fish, and is also caught in a variety of commercial fisheries. Until last year, sheepshead was managed under the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan, and was included in a 20-fish snapper-grouper recreational bag limit aggregate.
When sheepshead was removed from the South Atlantic plan, management of the species was left up to the state. The proposed rule change will give the division director proclamation authority to set size, recreational bag, commercial trip, gear, season, and time restrictions on the taking of sheepshead if needed to maintain a sustainable harvest.
Other proposed rules would:
(1) Give the director of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries proclamation authority to implement federal shellfish harvester and dealer requirements for the protection of public health;
(2) Designate new seed oyster management areas at Possum Bay and Swan Point in New River;
(3) Clarify what organizations and activities are eligible to receive Scientific and Educational Activity permits and Coastal Recreational Fishing License Exemption permits from the Division of Marine Fisheries;
(4) Clarify that the exemptions to the general 4-inch size limit on fish only apply to finfish;
(5) Correct an error in the Inland/Coastal Waters boundary line in Queens Creek, Onslow County;
(6) Repeal a rule on hybrid striped bass culture that references outdated N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission rules;
(7) Implement an amendment to the Blue Crab Fishery Management Plan by broadening the authority of the director of the Division of Marine Fisheries to manage the blue crab fishery by proclamation under an adaptive management strategy. This includes the authority to implement more restrictive measures for the use of pots; restrict means and methods for managing the use of escape rings; and designate additional areas as crab spawning sanctuaries and extend the time that harvest restrictions are in place for all crab spawning sanctuaries; clarifying existing rules and relocating rules in the rulebook for better organization; codifying current proclamations, including one for the taking of mature female blue crabs with pots, reducing the exempted area for the Pamlico Sound Outer Banks region, but providing more clearly delineated boundaries for this area and the Newport River area. Other codifications include establishing a dividing line in Pamlico Sound for the taking of hard blue crabs using trawls of certain mesh sizes; closing the lower Broad Creek area (Neuse River) to crab pots June 1 through Nov. 30; and using the existing no trawl line along the Outer Banks in Pamlico Sound as the new boundary line where closure of escape rings to take small mature females is allowed; using the type of bait instead of pot mesh size to define escape ring requirements in a crab pot; requiring terrapin excluder devices in crab pots, following development and approval of criteria by the Marine Fisheries Commission; and opening eight non-pot areas (long haul areas) in the Pungo River to the use of pots, but keeping the Long Point non-pot area in Pamlico River closed to the use of pots. The director of the Division of Marine Fisheries implemented this regulation by proclamation in June until the rule change can be adopted.
The public may also comment in writing to Catherine Blum, Rulemaking Coordinator, N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, NC 28557 or send comments by email to Catherine.Blum@ncdenr.gov or fax to (252) 726-0254. The public comment period will close at 5:00 p.m. Sept. 30.
The commission is scheduled to vote on the proposed rules at its Nov. 13-15 meeting. If approved, the rules could take effect as early as Feb.1, 2014.
For more information on the proposed rules, go to http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/mfc-proposed-rules-links or contact Blum at (252) 808-8014 or Catherine.Blum@ncdenr.gov.
