MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION TO MEET JUNE 28-29 IN RALEIGH


MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION TO MEET JUNE 28-29 IN RALEIGH


MOREHEAD CITY – The Marine Fisheries Commission will hold a business meeting June 28-29 at the Clarion State Capital Hotel at 320 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh. The meeting is open to the public.


On June 27, the commission will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. at the same location. The commission will receive public comment on the following proposed rules at this hearing:




Commercial fishermen cannot use more than 3000 yards of flounder gill net per vessel, in internal waters;


Require 5 ½-inch stretched minimum mesh size for all flounder gill nets in internal waters, this will require the prohibition of gill nets from 5-inch to less than 5 ½-inch stretched mesh, from April 15 – Dec. 15;


500-yard minimum distance between pound nets and gill nets in Albemarle Sound, from August 15 – December 31;


Flounder pound nets must have an escape panel 5 ½ inches or greater to allow small flounder to escape;


Recreational large mesh gill nets (5 ½ inches or larger stretched mesh) must be attended at all times, south and west of the Emerald Isle Bridge (Hwy. 58) in internal and ocean waters;


Exempt flounder aquaculture operations from size and season requirements;


Create a permit and training requirements for dock owners to cultivate oysters in containers under their docks;


Modify shellfish lease fee rules to compliment statutes; and


Allow 80 percent of the commercial ocean-caught flounder quota to be harvested during the winter season, beginning Jan. 1 of each year.


MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION TO MEET JUNE 28-29 IN RALEIGH


MOREHEAD CITY – The Marine Fisheries Commission will hold a business meeting June 28-29 at the Clarion State Capital Hotel at 320 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh. The meeting is open to the public.


On June 27, the commission will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. at the same location. The commission will receive public comment on the following proposed rules at this hearing:




Commercial fishermen cannot use more than 3000 yards of flounder gill net per vessel, in internal waters;


Require 5 ½-inch stretched minimum mesh size for all flounder gill nets in internal waters, this will require the prohibition of gill nets from 5-inch to less than 5 ½-inch stretched mesh, from April 15 – Dec. 15;


500-yard minimum distance between pound nets and gill nets in Albemarle Sound, from August 15 – December 31;


Flounder pound nets must have an escape panel 5 ½ inches or greater to allow small flounder to escape;


Recreational large mesh gill nets (5 ½ inches or larger stretched mesh) must be attended at all times, south and west of the Emerald Isle Bridge (Hwy. 58) in internal and ocean waters;


Exempt flounder aquaculture operations from size and season requirements;


Create a permit and training requirements for dock owners to cultivate oysters in containers under their docks;


Modify shellfish lease fee rules to compliment statutes; and


Allow 80 percent of the commercial ocean-caught flounder quota to be harvested during the winter season, beginning Jan. 1 of each year.

MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION TO MEET JUNE 28-29 IN RALEIGH


MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION TO MEET JUNE 28-29 IN RALEIGH

MOREHEAD CITY – The Marine Fisheries Commission will hold a business meeting June 28-29 at the Clarion State Capital Hotel at 320 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh.
The meeting is open to the public.

On June 27, the commission will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. at the same location. The commission will receive public comment on the following proposed rules at this hearing:
· Commercial fishermen cannot use more than 3000 yards of flounder gill net per vessel, in internal waters;
· Require 5 ½-inch stretched minimum mesh size for all flounder gill nets in internal waters, this will require the prohibition of gill nets from 5-inch to less than 5 ½-inch stretched mesh, from April 15 – Dec. 15;
· 500-yard minimum distance between pound nets and gill nets in Albemarle Sound, from August 15 – December 31;
· Flounder pound nets must have an escape panel 5 ½ inches or greater to allow small flounder to escape;
· Recreational large mesh gill nets (5 ½ inches or larger stretched mesh) must be attended at all times, south and west of the Emerald Isle Bridge (Hwy. 58) in internal and ocean waters;
· Exempt flounder aquaculture operations from size and season requirements;
· Create a permit and training requirements for dock owners to cultivate oysters in containers under their docks;
· Modify shellfish lease fee rules to compliment statutes; and
· Allow 80 percent of the commercial ocean-caught flounder quota to be harvested during the winter season, beginning Jan. 1 of each year.

For more information, please contact Jess Hawkins by email at
je**********@****il.net or by calling
800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021.

MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION BUSINESS MEETING AGENDA

June 28
9 a.m. Call to Order/Invocation/Roll Call
Approval of Agenda* and Minutes (February and April)
Public Comment
Issues from Commission Members

9:30 a.m. Chairman’s Report
– Primary Nursery Area Rule Suspension-Mallard Bay [NCAC 15A 03R.0103(d)] (Action)
– Saltwater Fishing License Update

10 a.m. Committee Reports

Noon Lunch

1:30 p.m. Coastal Habitat Protection Plan
– Implementation Plan (Action)

2:30 p.m. Draft Striped Mullet FMP
– Overview of Public Comments
– Overview of Committee Review
– Preferred Management Options (Action)
– Approval to Send Draft FMP to DENR Secretary and Seafood and Aquaculture for Review (Action)

4 p.m. Shrimp FMP Schedule Modification (Action)

4:30 p.m. 2005 Stock Status and FMP Status Reports

5:30 p.m. Fishery Management Plans
– Priorities and Schedule (Action)

6 p.m. Adjourn

June 29
8:30 a.m. Draft River Herring FMP
– Data Sources and Assessments

10 a.m. Blue Crab FMP Rules (Action)
NCAC 03I.0101 – Definition of Rules
NCAC 03I.0105 – 5-Day Pot Attendance Period
NCAC 03J.0104 – Crab Pot Areas
– 03R.0107
NCAC 03J.0106 – Channel Net Harvest
NCAC 03J.0301
– Pot Closure Period
– Crab Pot Area Seasons
– User Conflict Authority
– Buoy Clarification
NCAC 03L.0201
– White Line Peeler Tolerance
– Proclamation Authority for Large Female Hard Crabs and Peelers, (September – April)
NCAC 03L.0202 – Crab Trawling
NCAC 03L.0206 – White Line Peeler Harvest

American Lobster Rule (Action) – NCAC 03L.0301

Dolphin/Wahoo Rule (Action)- NCAC 03M.0515, 03M.0517

River Herring and American Shad Rule (Action) – NCAC 030.0503

Striped Bass FMP Rule (Action)– Joint Waters – NCAC 03Q.0107

Primary Nursery Area Rule (Action) – Mallard Bay – NCAC 03R.0103

Southern Flounder FMP Rules (Action)
NCAC 03J.0120 – Possession or Transportation Limits
NCAC 03J.0103
– Minimum Gil Net Mesh Size
– Gill Net Distance From Pound Nets
– Maximum Yardage of Gill Nets
NCAC 03J.0107 – Pound Net Panels
NCAC 03M.0503 – 80/20 Season, Aquaculture/Hatchery
NCAC 030.0302 – RCGL Gill Net Attendance

Shellfish Lease and Under Dock Oyster Culture Rules (Action)
NCAC 030.0202 – Filing Fee
NCAC 030.0205 – Renewal Fee
NCAC 030.0501 – Technical
NCAC 030.0502 – Technical
NCAC 030.0503 – Under Dock Oyster Culture Permit

Noon Lunch

1:30 p.m. Draft Shrimp Fishery Management Plan
– Overview
– Discussion
– Public Meetings for Review

3:30 p.m. Director’s Report
– Legislative Update
– Proclamation Update
– Striped Bass
– River Herring
– ASMFC Update
– Weakfish FMP Addendum
– Summer Flounder FMP Addendum
– Atlantic Menhaden FMP Addendum
– Highly Migratory Species Update
– SAFMC Update
– Marine Patrol Report
– MAFMC Update

5 p.m. Adjourn

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

2005 MFC Meetings:August 30-31 Atlantic Beach
November 17-18 Ocracoke


MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION TO MEET JUNE 28-29 IN RALEIGH

MOREHEAD CITY – The Marine Fisheries Commission will hold a business meeting June 28-29 at the Clarion State Capital Hotel at 320 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh.
The meeting is open to the public.

On June 27, the commission will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. at the same location. The commission will receive public comment on the following proposed rules at this hearing:
· Commercial fishermen cannot use more than 3000 yards of flounder gill net per vessel, in internal waters;
· Require 5 ½-inch stretched minimum mesh size for all flounder gill nets in internal waters, this will require the prohibition of gill nets from 5-inch to less than 5 ½-inch stretched mesh, from April 15 – Dec. 15;
· 500-yard minimum distance between pound nets and gill nets in Albemarle Sound, from August 15 – December 31;
· Flounder pound nets must have an escape panel 5 ½ inches or greater to allow small flounder to escape;
· Recreational large mesh gill nets (5 ½ inches or larger stretched mesh) must be attended at all times, south and west of the Emerald Isle Bridge (Hwy. 58) in internal and ocean waters;
· Exempt flounder aquaculture operations from size and season requirements;
· Create a permit and training requirements for dock owners to cultivate oysters in containers under their docks;
· Modify shellfish lease fee rules to compliment statutes; and
· Allow 80 percent of the commercial ocean-caught flounder quota to be harvested during the winter season, beginning Jan. 1 of each year.

For more information, please contact Jess Hawkins by email at
je**********@****il.net or by calling
800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021.

MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION BUSINESS MEETING AGENDA

June 28
9 a.m. Call to Order/Invocation/Roll Call
Approval of Agenda* and Minutes (February and April)
Public Comment
Issues from Commission Members

9:30 a.m. Chairman’s Report
– Primary Nursery Area Rule Suspension-Mallard Bay [NCAC 15A 03R.0103(d)] (Action)
– Saltwater Fishing License Update

10 a.m. Committee Reports

Noon Lunch

1:30 p.m. Coastal Habitat Protection Plan
– Implementation Plan (Action)

2:30 p.m. Draft Striped Mullet FMP
– Overview of Public Comments
– Overview of Committee Review
– Preferred Management Options (Action)
– Approval to Send Draft FMP to DENR Secretary and Seafood and Aquaculture for Review (Action)

4 p.m. Shrimp FMP Schedule Modification (Action)

4:30 p.m. 2005 Stock Status and FMP Status Reports

5:30 p.m. Fishery Management Plans
– Priorities and Schedule (Action)

6 p.m. Adjourn

June 29
8:30 a.m. Draft River Herring FMP
– Data Sources and Assessments

10 a.m. Blue Crab FMP Rules (Action)
NCAC 03I.0101 – Definition of Rules
NCAC 03I.0105 – 5-Day Pot Attendance Period
NCAC 03J.0104 – Crab Pot Areas
– 03R.0107
NCAC 03J.0106 – Channel Net Harvest
NCAC 03J.0301
– Pot Closure Period
– Crab Pot Area Seasons
– User Conflict Authority
– Buoy Clarification
NCAC 03L.0201
– White Line Peeler Tolerance
– Proclamation Authority for Large Female Hard Crabs and Peelers, (September – April)
NCAC 03L.0202 – Crab Trawling
NCAC 03L.0206 – White Line Peeler Harvest

American Lobster Rule (Action) – NCAC 03L.0301

Dolphin/Wahoo Rule (Action)- NCAC 03M.0515, 03M.0517

River Herring and American Shad Rule (Action) – NCAC 030.0503

Striped Bass FMP Rule (Action)– Joint Waters – NCAC 03Q.0107

Primary Nursery Area Rule (Action) – Mallard Bay – NCAC 03R.0103

Southern Flounder FMP Rules (Action)
NCAC 03J.0120 – Possession or Transportation Limits
NCAC 03J.0103
– Minimum Gil Net Mesh Size
– Gill Net Distance From Pound Nets
– Maximum Yardage of Gill Nets
NCAC 03J.0107 – Pound Net Panels
NCAC 03M.0503 – 80/20 Season, Aquaculture/Hatchery
NCAC 030.0302 – RCGL Gill Net Attendance

Shellfish Lease and Under Dock Oyster Culture Rules (Action)
NCAC 030.0202 – Filing Fee
NCAC 030.0205 – Renewal Fee
NCAC 030.0501 – Technical
NCAC 030.0502 – Technical
NCAC 030.0503 – Under Dock Oyster Culture Permit

Noon Lunch

1:30 p.m. Draft Shrimp Fishery Management Plan
– Overview
– Discussion
– Public Meetings for Review

3:30 p.m. Director’s Report
– Legislative Update
– Proclamation Update
– Striped Bass
– River Herring
– ASMFC Update
– Weakfish FMP Addendum
– Summer Flounder FMP Addendum
– Atlantic Menhaden FMP Addendum
– Highly Migratory Species Update
– SAFMC Update
– Marine Patrol Report
– MAFMC Update

5 p.m. Adjourn

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

2005 MFC Meetings:August 30-31 Atlantic Beach
November 17-18 Ocracoke