Crab pot auction/NEW flounder rules

[NCangler]

For Immediate Release: March 24, 2005
Media Contact: Nancy Fish, N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries
252-726-7021 or 800-682-2632

CRAB POT AUCTION TO RAISE FUNDS FOR STATE

MOREHEAD CITY – The great crab pot auction is underway! State Surplus is accepting sealed bids for abandoned crabs pots collected earlier this year by the North Carolina Marine Patrol. Money from the sale of these pots will go into the N.C. General Fund.

Each year, fishermen are required to take their crab pots ashore for a two-week period so the Marine Patrol can remove all abandoned gear from Tar Heel coastal waters. This year, officers braved cold winter winds and choppy waters to collect 2,735 abandoned pots between Jan. 24 – Feb. 7.

Rather than send all abandoned pots to the landfill, this year the Marine Patrol decided to auction off pots in decent condition. The 700 pots that made the cut are being held at the Wanchese Industrial Seafood Park for potential bidders to view.

The pots are being auctioned in two lots and bids are being received until April 5 at 1 p.m., when they will be unsealed. To learn more about the bidding process, visit www.surpluspropertydivision.com or call 919-854-2160. To set up an appointment to view the pots, please call Marine Patrol Lt. Donnie Twyne at 252-726-7021, ext. 420.

NEW FLOUNDER RULES TO GO INTO EFFECT APRIL 1

MOREHEAD CITY – Both recreational and commercial fishermen need to be aware that new catch and gear limits for southern flounder are going into effect April 1.
The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission approved the conservation measures as part of the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan – a plan designed to protect declining stocks of the state’s inshore flounder population. The current flounder stock is comprised primarily of very young fish, with few older, more productive spawners. A healthy stock generally has fish of all ages.
The new restrictions include:

· 14-inch size limit, eight fish possession limit for recreational fishermen in internal waters, including gigged fish; and
· 14-inch size limit for commercial fishermen in internal waters.

Additional flounder restrictions will be forthcoming in future months.
For more information on these new management measures, contact Chris Batsavage by e-mail at chris.batsavage@ncmail.net or by calling 800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021.