Marine Fisheries Commission To Meet In Greenville

[NCangler]

MOREHEAD CITY – The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will make choices affecting the future management of North Carolina’s red drum fishery when it meets this month in Greenville.

The commission is scheduled to choose what to endorse from a draft amendment to a 2001 Red Drum Fishery Management Plan. The draft includes recommendations for new commercial trip and gear limits as well as educational outreach. It also identifies environmental concerns and data needs.

Once the commission selects its preferred management alternatives, it will send the draft to the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the General Assembly for review and comment. The draft will then come back to the Marine Fisheries Commission for any modifications and rulemaking.

The draft amendment can be downloaded from the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries Web site at http://www.ncfisheries.net/download/...%202-19-08.pdf.

Also on the meeting agenda is discussion of issues pertaining to the implementation of a commercial ocean striped bass gear permit. The state plans to put the permit in place this fall and require fishermen to declare what type of gear they will use in the fishery for the next three years.

Additionally, the division will release its annual landings report.

The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. April 22 and 8:30 a.m. April 23 at the City Hotel and Bistro in Greenville. The commission also will hold a public comment period at 7 p.m. April 21 at the same location.