Meeting Set On Commercial Ocean Striped Bass Fishing

[NCangler]

MOREHEAD CITY -- The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a public meeting April 14 in Manteo to discuss the 2008 commercial ocean striped bass season.

This year, the state will institute a commercial permit to harvest ocean striped bass that will require fishermen to declare which of three gear types – gill nets, beach seines or trawls – they will use. Fishermen will be allowed to obtain only one permit per person.

Once a fisherman declares his gear, he will be locked into the decision for three years.

DMF officials at the meeting will discuss the permit requirement, quota allocation and beach seine gear parameters.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m., April 14 in the small auditorium at Roanoke Island Festival Park, Manteo.

For more information, please contact David Taylor at 1-800-682-2631 or (252)-726-7021.