Releases – June 2, 2011
Where do Atlantic bluefin tuna seen off the Outer Banks spawn? And where do they go after they leave North Carolina waters?
A partnership of Outer Banks marinas, charter boat operators, and fish cleaners are providing data for Maryland researchers to answer these questions and more. The information also enables the scientists to learn more about the connection between Atlantic bluefin tuna populations from eastern (Mediterranean Sea) and western (Gulf of Mexico) spawning areas. Dave Secor, University of Maryland biologist, is finding that both tuna populations mix off the eastern coast of the United States in different proportions. For example, off the North Carolina coast, smaller and younger bluefin tuna — known as “school” class — are more likely to be of Mediterranean origin. Farther north, older tuna are almost exclusively from the Gulf of Mexico.
“Juveniles and adults originating from different spawning habitats can seasonally coexist as mixed stocks off the North Carolina coast. Local offshore fishermen are providing the crucial raw data to Dr. Secor to characterize the movements of bluefin tuna,” says Sara Mirbilio, North Carolina Sea Grant fisheries specialist.
The charter boat captains allow the research team to retrieve otoliths, or ear bones, from landed tuna. Certain chemicals in the bones match those in different water bodies and enable the scientists to pinpoint the tuna’s origin.
Secor will hold two free community events to present an overview of his research along the East Coast to date. He will also discuss how the North Carolina data, which are still being analyzed, might play into international bluefin tuna stock management. Pirate’s Cove Marina will sponsor the June 2 event, in conjunction with their tuna tournament. Non-participants should check in at the North Carolina Sea Grant booth to obtain an entry badge to the Pavilion.
Hatteras Connection will support the June 3 talk.
The Wildlife Resources Commission and the State Highway Patrol are teaming up for a safer North Carolina this summer, with a reminder that whether you are on the road or on the water, drinking and driving can be deadly.
North Carolina sets the same limits for intoxication while operating a boat as it does for operating a motor vehicle, at .08 blood alcohol concentration. The state sees on average one-in-three alcohol related traffic deaths and recreational boating deaths every year.
A new “On the Road or On the Water” campaign combines the efforts of “Booze It & Lose It” for highways and “Boat Safe, Boat Sober” for waterways. Officers will concentrate on impaired drivers–no matter what they drive–through awareness and enforcement in all North Carolina counties.
Joining the campaign are the Alcohol Law Enforcement division, local police, and sheriff’s departments and Forensic Tests for Alcohol branch, which is providing six mobile breath-alcohol testing units. Each mobile unit is equipped with alcohol screening devices, computers, and communication work stations, as well as a magistrate office and other necessary equipment and supplies for processing impaired suspects.
The ALE division will stress that the “On the Road, On the Water” message can serve as a deterrent to under-age drinking. It is illegal to sell alcohol without a permit, to sell to anyone younger than 21, to have an open container of alcohol in a car, or to sell wine, beer, or liquor to anyone who is intoxicated. ALE special agents enforce these and many other laws involving the sale, purchase, transportation, manufacture, consumption, and possession of alcoholic beverages in the state.
The state chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving also will help promote and support the campaign through communication and education.
Drinking and boating has an additional consideration. Wind and waves, combined with heat, glare, motor noise, and vibrations, can create a condition known as boater fatigue, which accelerates impairment and affects coordination, judgment, and reaction time that can magnify the effects of alcohol in some individuals. North Carolina allows a boat operator to be charged if appreciably impaired.
For more information on boating safety, regulations, and title and registration, go to http://www.ncwildlife.org/Boating_Waterways/index.htm.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has completed renovations to the Washington Baum Bridge Boating Access Area, which is now open to the public.
“The improved traffic flow at this site will give boaters easier, more convenient access to the Roanoke Sound, the Pamlico Sound and our state’s other coastal waters,” said Erik Christofferson, chief of the Commission’s Division of Engineering Services. “We are grateful for the money we received from sales of the Coastal Recreational Fishing License that allowed us to replace some of the failing infrastructure of this popular site, in particular some 1,400 feet of bulkhead.”
Sales of the CRFL paid for 50 percent of the renovation, while funding from motorboat registration receipts paid for the rest.
Washington Baum Bridge also has new ADA-accessible floating docks, one additional ramp for a total of five ramps and an addition of about 300 feet of boardwalk.
For more information on boating in North Carolina, including an interactive map of more than 200 free, 24-hour boating access areas, visit www.ncwildlife.org.
NOAA Fisheries Service reminds fishermen of recreational measures for golden tilefish, snowy grouper, and black sea bass. These measures include annual catch limits (ACLs)
on the amount of fish that can be caught in pounds or numbers, and possible adjustments to ACLs and fishing seasons if ACLs are exceeded.
Background
NOAA Fisheries Service published a final rule to implement Amendment 17B to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Amendment 17B) in the Federal Register on December 30, 2010 (75 FR 82280). These provisions were effective January 31, 2011.
Amendment 17B established ACLs and accountability measures (AMs) for nine snapper-grouper species as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. ACLs are set at levels that prevent overfishing. AMs are management controls established to ensure landings do not exceed the ACL, or they may correct for overages if ACLs are exceeded during a fishing season. During the 2010 fishing year, the recreational ACLs for golden tilefish, snowy grouper, and black sea bass were exceeded.
Golden Tilefish
Because the recreational ACL was exceeded for golden tilefish late in 2010, an adjustment to the length of the fishing year will be needed at the end of 2011.
Snowy Grouper
The recreational ACL was also exceeded for snowy grouper and an adjustment to the length of the 2011 fishing year may be needed. Data from 2011 will be examined to determine if new management measures in Amendment 17B, which include a reduction in the bag limit, will prevent the ACL from being exceeded in 2011.
Black Sea Bass
Accountability measures for black sea bass require the recreational fishing season to be closed when the ACL is met. The recreational ACL for black sea bass was reached on or before February 12, 2011, and the recreational sector was closed on that date. Additionally, an overage from the prior fishing season must be deducted from the ACL for the following fishing year. NOAA Fisheries Service is awaiting final landings data for the 2011 fishing year to determine the extent of the recreational black sea bass ACL overage. Final data will be available this summer, after which time NOAA Fisheries Service will adjust the black sea bass ACL for the 2011/2012 fishing year.
Recreational anglers will be notified as soon as possible regarding any adjustments to recreational fishing seasons or ACLs.
More Information
For more information, please refer to Amendment 17B Frequently Asked Questions, Black Sea Bass Frequently Asked Questions, and or the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Web page at: www.safmc.net.
