Releases – May 12, 2016
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will memorialize former Artificial Reef Coordinator Jim Francesconi by sinking two ships in his honor. Francesconi, who began working for the division in 1987, headed the Artificial Reef Program for 14 years before losing a battle with leukemia on July 18, 2014.
The division has contracted to sink the vessels on Atlantic Beach Reef (AR-330) off Beaufort Inlet.
The largest vessel, a 108-foot retired U.S. Army tug boat, has been renamed the James J. Francesconi and adorned with his name in steel letters on the forward portion of the wheel house. The second vessel, The Tramp, is a 65-foot retired New York Harbor tugboat, which will be sunk in-line with, and tethered to, the James J. Francesconi.
The vessels will be reefed near the northwest corner of the reef site in approximately 63 feet of water. Once settled, the vessels will be oriented in a northeast-southwest fashion. In accordance with Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Corps of Engineers regulations, the vessels have been cleaned of environmental pollutants and will have no impact on navigational clearance.
Francesconi’s efforts for the division resulted in hundreds of enhancements to artificial reefs from the Outer Banks to Long Bay, including the creation of the New River Reef (AR-398) near Jacksonville, the Jim Knight Reef (AR-430) near Oak Island, and the Bob Black Reef (AR-400) near Frying Pan Tower. He also oversaw the sinking of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter SPAR, the Tug Titan, the Captain Greg Mickey, the Tug Pawtucket, the Admiral Charlie, and two U.S. Coast Guard Falcon aircraft.
Following Francesconi’s death, several diving and fishing organizations began a grass roots effort to raise money for a ship to sink in his name. Donations came in from the Long Bay Artificial Reef Association ($13,993), the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament ($7,000), the Eastern Carolina Artificial Reef Association ($1,650), and a GoFundMe site ($11,223.97) that included large donations from the Scherle Family, the Francesconi Family, Rum Runner Dive Shop, Olympus Dive Center, and the Gilman Corporation.
Additional funding came from the sale of SCUBA license plates ($77,790) and the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Conservation Fund ($6,997).
In all, $118,653.97 was raised for the project, which has an estimated price tag of approximately $117,000.
Eternal Reefs Inc. donated two Eternal Reef Balls and commemorative plaques, which will be mounted to the deck of the James J. Francesconi vessel.
Results of a recent study show that coastal habitat enhancement programs managed by the state fisheries agency provide $4 in benefits for every $1 invested in the coastal region.
The Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership contracted with RTI International to study the benefits and costs of three programs under the state Division of Marine Fisheries: the Shellfish Rehabilitation Program, Oyster Sanctuary Program, and Artificial Reef Program. The study focused on how these programs benefit and contribute to communities in the region.
According to the report, the programs generate economic benefits in numerous categories. Between 2010 and 2015, with just over $20 million in government and private investments, North Carolina restoration and habitat enhancement activities supported over 500 acres of habitat and provided benefits that included commercial fishing, shellfish harvesting, recreational fishing, water quality improvement, and shoreline stabilization. Cost-benefit analysis showed returns that ranged from $2 to more than $12 for every dollar invested.
Over that same time period, increases in commercial fishing alone supported 696 jobs, generated $32 million in revenue to North Carolina businesses, and added $13 million to household income.
Previous studies also show that grant funding of just over $5 million for coastal restoration in oyster sanctuary sites created more than 50 jobs, generated $7.9 million in revenue to North Carolina businesses, and added $1.9 million to household income.
To read the complete Economic Analysis of the Costs and Benefits of Restoration and Enhancement of Shellfish Habitat and Oyster Propagation in North Carolina, please visit:Â http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/apnep/reports.
The Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership is a cooperative effort jointly hosted by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality under a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The program area extends across most of the Albemarle-Pamlico watershed, including the Neuse, Tar-Pamlico, Pasquotank, Chowan, lower Roanoke, and parts of the White Oak river basins. Learn more about the partnership at http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/apnep/home.
Learn more about the Shellfish Rehabilitation and Oyster Sanctuary programs at http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/dmf-shellfish-and-crustaceans.
Artificial reef sites information can be found at http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/artificial-reefs-program.
Commercial fishermen who fish in the Atlantic Ocean off of North Carolina may receive a questionnaire in the mail or by phone call in the coming weeks and months for a N.C Division of Marine Fisheries survey.
The division plans to contact approximately 300 fishermen between now and August and ask them information about their fishing activity, perceptions, fishing expenses, and demographics. The information gathered in the survey will be used to improve the state’s estimates of the economic impacts of commercial fishing and the effects of fishing regulations. It will also assist managers in making informed decisions on fisheries topics.
Fishermen will be asked questions about the species they commonly target, the gears they use, their business structure, their average trip and annual fishing expenses, demographic information (such as education, age, and household income), as well as their opinions on fishery conflicts and regulations and their reliance on commercial fishing.
Individual answers to questions will be kept strictly confidential; however, the cumulative results from all survey participants will be included in a written report that will be made available to the public.
A fisherman who receives such a call can verify that the person calling is working with the division on this survey by asking the caller to verify his or her participant identification number (PID). This number is located on the bottom left corner of all North Carolina commercial fishing licenses.
It is very important that fishermen participate in the survey and answer as many questions as possible for the survey results to truly represent those who fish commercially in the Atlantic Ocean off of North Carolina. The results of the survey are taken very seriously and often guide fisheries managers in making rules that affect fishing activities within the survey area.
For more information, contact John Hadley, division socio-economics program manager, at (252) 808-8107 or John.Hadley@ncdenr.gov.
CCA NC will welcome research scientists from the Coastal Fisheries Oceanography and Ecology Laboratory from the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences at this year’s Cobia Challenge Fishing Tournament to pull otoliths and collect other data from any of the cobia caught during the competition. Principle Investigator with the Lab, Dr. Joel Fodrie, suggested the idea of working with CCA NC during the tournament to gather scientific data on this important recreational species. “Cobia is a species we absolutely want to do more with in terms of exploring life history (age, growth, movements, etc.) – we know surprisingly little.”
Tournament anglers will be encouraged to bring any cobia caught to the weigh-in so scientists can collect data (even if they feel the cobia will be too small to compete for tournament honors). This supports the conservation mission of CCA NC and will add an important educational opportunity to the fishing experience for anglers.
This year’s tournament also features Guaranteed Prize Money of at least $1,500 paid for the Heaviest Cobia weighed, $700 for second place, and $300 for third place. Cash and prizes will also be awarded in a Spanish Mackerel Division, a Fly Only Division, and a Junior Angler Division.
The Captains Party will be held on Friday night, May 20, at the TowBoatUS Building on Arendell Street in Morehead City, and the weigh-in will be hosted next door by Portside Marina on Saturday, May 21.
