STRIPED BASS SEASON – OCEAN TRAWL: ATLANTIC OCEAN
Preston P. Pate, Jr., Director of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 7:00 A.M., Monday, January 31, 2005, the season for the harvest of striped bass with ocean trawls in the Atlantic Ocean waters of North Carolina WILL OPEN. The following restrictions will apply:
I. SIZE LIMIT
No person may possess, transport, buy, sell, or offer for sale striped bass less than 28 inches total length taken with ocean trawls from the Atlantic Ocean.
II. HARVEST RESTRICTIONS
No ocean trawl operation, regardless of the number of persons or vessels involved, may land or sell more than 50 striped bass during the harvest period beginning at 7:00 A.M. Monday, January 31, 2005 and ending at 6:00 P.M., Thursday, February 3, 2005.
III. GEAR RESTRICTIONS
A. For purposes of this proclamation, a trawl is defined as a net made of multi-strand nylon consisting of wings, a body and a codend.
B. No gill nets may be possessed on board a vessel used in the taking or landing of striped bass.
IV. LANDING RESTRICTIONS
Striped bass harvested in this fishery may only be sold to and purchased by a currently licensed finfish dealer possessing a valid 2005 Atlantic Ocean Dealer’s Striped Bass Permit.
V. DEALER PERMITS
A. No finfish dealer may possess, buy, sell or offer for sale striped bass taken from the Atlantic Ocean without first obtaining a 2005 STRIPED BASS DEALER PERMIT validated for the Atlantic Ocean from the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. Dealers must abide by all conditions of the STRIPED BASS DEALER PERMIT and the general permit conditions found in 15A NCAC 3O .0500.
B. Only a STRIPED BASS DEALER PERMIT validated for the Atlantic Ocean may be used for transactions involving striped bass taken from the area opened by this proclamation.
C. Striped bass lawfully sold to a permitted dealer may be resold to a non-permitted wholesale or retail market provided the initial permitted dealer records their dealer identification number on each bill of lading or receipts involved in the shipment of striped bass. Any individual or corporation who holds a current finfish dealer license must obtain a STRIPED BASS DEALER PERMIT validated for the Atlantic Ocean in order to sell any striped bass personally harvested.
VI. SALE TAGS
A. No finfish dealer may possess, buy, sell or offer for sale striped bass taken from the Atlantic Ocean without having affixed either a North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries-issued Atlantic Ocean striped bass sale tag affixed through the mouth and gill cover or, in the case of striped bass imported from other states, a similar tag that is issued for striped bass in the state of origin.
B. North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries Atlantic Ocean striped bass sale tags may not be bought, sold, offered for sale or transferred.
VII. SEASON CLOSURE
The ocean trawl season for striped bass WILL CLOSE at 6:00 P.M. February 3, 2005 unless closed earlier by proclamation when the harvest quota is met.
VIII. GENERAL INFORMATION
A. This proclamation is issued under the authority of G.S. 113-170.4; 113-170.5; 113-182; 113-221.1;143B-289.52; and N.C. Marine Fisheries Rules 15A NCAC 3H .0103, 3J .0202 (4), 3M .0201, .0204 and .0503.
B. It is unlawful to violate the provisions of any proclamation issued by the Director under his delegated authority pursuant to N.C. Fisheries Rule 15A NCAC 3H .0103.
C. The intent of this proclamation is to allow the commercial harvest of striped bass from the Atlantic Ocean by traditional gears within the quota established for the 2004/2005 season by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Fishery Management Plan for Striped Bass. The landing prohibition at 6:00 P.M. on February 3, 2005 will allow the Division to review landings reports. Landings will be allowed by proclamation after that date if the quota has not been met.
D. The waters of the Atlantic Ocean, as applicable to this proclamation are defined as waters seaward of the COLREGS Demarcation Lines as indicated on National Ocean Service navigation charts for the areas to which this proclamation applies.
E. Atlantic Ocean Commercial Dealer’s Striped Bass Permits and tags are available at no cost from: N. C. Division of Marine Fisheries, Marine Patrol, Route 2, Box 43D, Columbia, North Carolina 27925, Telephone: 1-800-405-7774 or 252-796-1322.