MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION TO MEET MAY 11-14

MOREHEAD CITY – The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) will meet May 11 – 14 in New Bern.

The meetings are open to the public.

On May 11, the MFC will hold a public meeting beginning at 7 p.m. at the Sheraton for anyone that wishes to discuss fisheries issues with the commission.

On May 12, the MFC will hold a business meeting at the Sheraton beginning at 9 a.m. The meeting will open with a public comment period, followed by reports from the MFC chairman and the various advisory committees. The highlight of this day’s activities will focus on blue crabs, with a presentation of the latest stock assessment by Dr. Dave Eggleston and approval of a draft Blue Crab Fishery Management Plan.

On May 13, beginning at 8:30 a.m., the Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a socioeconomic workshop at the Riverfront Convention Center. Discussions will focus on social and economic issues facing fishermen, their associated industries and fishing communities, and how to best use this information in developing management strategies. The meeting concludes with a panel discussion comprised of commercial and recreational fishing interests, state fisheries managers and meeting presenters.

On May 14, the MFC will resume its business meeting at 8:30 a.m. at the Riverfront Convention Center with the final adoption of the Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan; other highlights include review of the MFC Advisor’s Workshop held last February and a vote on the draft Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan to take out to public meetings.

Please be sure to visit http://www.ncdmf.net/mfc/advisor.html to review summaries of past commission meetings.

Meeting Agenda- See “Read More” Below

MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION (MFC) BUSINESS AND SOCIOECONOMIC WORKSHOP MEETING

SHERATON AND RIVERFRONT CONVENTION CENTER

NEW BERN, NC

MAY 12-14, 2004

May 12 Business Meeting/Sheraton

9 a.m. Call to Order/Invocation

Roll Call

Approval of Agenda and Minutes*

Public Comment

Issues from Commission Members

9:30 a.m. Chairman’s Report

Flounder Recreational Size Limit in Internal Waters Rule Suspension (Action)

Flounder Recreational Size Limit in Atlantic Ocean Rule Suspension (Action)

Primary Nursery Area Rule Suspension (Action)

Public Hearing Dates

10 a.m. Committee Reports/Action Items

-Environmental Management Commission Legal Complaint vs. Rules Review Commission (Action)

-Pecan Grove Permit (Action)

-General Permits (Action)

-North Carolina Wildlife Resolutions (Action)

-White Oak River Shellfish Closure (Action)

-Atlantic Ocean Striped Bass Commercial Fisheries Management (Kelly Schoolcraft Petition)(Action)

-Shrimp FMP Public Information Brochure Approval (Action)

Noon Lunch

1:30 p.m. Draft Blue Crab Fishery Management Plan (FMP)

-Blue Crab Stock Assessment – Dr. Dave Eggleston (NCSU)

-Public Comments

-Results of Questionnaires

-Approval to Send Draft to Secretary of Environmental and Natural Resources for review by the Joint Legislative Commission on Seafood and Aquaculture (Action)

6:30 p.m. Adjourn

May 13 Socioeconomics Workshop/Riverfront Convention Center

8:30 a.m. Welcome – Jimmy Johnson, MFC Chairman and Dr. Brian Cheuvront, DMF Socioeconomist

Commercial Fisheries

8:45 a.m. Profiles of NC’s commercial fishermen – Dr. Brian Cheuvront

9:10 a.m. Economic significance of commercial fishing in N.C. – Alan Bianchi

9:35 a.m. N.C.’s changing fishing communities – Dr. Kathy Kitner

10 a.m. Fisheries Diversity: Case studies on the impacts of regulations and diversity – Dr. Louis Daniel

10:30 a.m. Break

10:45 a.m. Individual perspectives on commercial fishing – Willie Etheridge and David Beresoff

11:15a.m. Capacity and fisheries – Dr.Vishwanie Maharaj

11:40 a.m. Impact of imports: the shrimp industry – Dr. John Maiolo

Noon Lunch

Recreational Fishing

1:15 p.m. Recent changes in recreational fishing – Doug Mumford

1:35 p.m. Economic significance of recreational fishing in NC – Brad Gentner

2 p.m. Socioeconomic characteristics of RCGL fisheries – Chris Wilson

2:20 p.m. An individual perspective on recreational fisheries – Brian Horsley

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MFC Agenda

Page 2

2:30p.m. Break

Panel Discussion Question and Answer Period

2:45 p.m. Socioeconomic implications for fisheries management – Dr. Louis Daniel

3 p.m. Panel discussion and audience questions to the speakers, representatives of commercial and recreational fishing interests, and NC fisheries managers (Charlie Adams, Murray Fulcher, Steven Hissey, Susan West, Jimmy Johnson and Preston Pate)

5 p.m. Adjourn

May 14 Business Meeting/Riverfront Convention Center

8:30 a.m. N.C. Striped Bass FMP Final Adoption (Action)

9:30 a.m. Overview of February 3, 2004 MFC Advisors Meeting

-Survey Results

-Meeting Summary

-Recommendations (Action)

10:30 a.m. MFC Conflict Resolution Guidelines – Dr. Barbara Garrity-Blake

11 a.m. Southern Flounder FMP

-Overview

-Discussion/Public Meetings (Action)

Noon Lunch

1:30 p.m. Southern Flounder FMP (continued)

3:30 p.m. DMF Director’s Report

-Legislative Update

-Shellfish Gardening Update

-Coastal Habitat Protection Plan Update

-River Herring Commercial Harvest

-Summer Flounder

-Striped Bass

-Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Updates – Red Munden

-Highly Migratory Species Update – Dr. Louis Daniel

-South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Update – Dr. Louis Daniel

-Marine Patrol Report – Colonel Joe Lynch

4:30 p.m. Adjourn

*Times indicated are merely for guidance. The commission will proceed through the agenda until completed.

MFC Meetings for 2004:

July 20-21 Jacksonville

September 27-29 Kill Devil Hills

December 1-3 Morehead City