Marine Fisheries Commission To Meet June 28-29

[NCangler]

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 jess.hawkins@ncmail.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