MFC NE Advisory Comm. mtg. 10/20/05

[NCangler]

The Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) Northeast Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday, October 20 at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Edenton Council Chambers, located at 500 South Broad Street, Edenton, NC.

The committee will review and discuss potential temporary management measures for the 2006 fishing season as part of the Draft River Herring Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The MFC is seeking the advice of the regional committees regarding potential temporary measures. The herring population is severely depleted. The Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) has recommended a harvest moratorium as the most expedient action to reduce the effects of fishing on the population. The MFC decided at a special called meeting on September 26 that a harvest moratorium would not be appropriate at this time, but that they would consider more restrictive measures than what are currently in place.

The MFC restricts commercial harvest to 300,000 pounds in the Albemarle Sound and Chowan River, with 200,000 pounds allocated to the Chowan River pound net fishery, 67,000 pounds to the Albemarle Sound gill net fishery, and 33,000 pounds allocated at the discretion of the DMF Director. There is a 25 river herring per person bag limit in place in coastal waters. Gill net mesh size is restricted in Albemarle Sound to coincide with river herring and striped bass migrations. The DMF is proposing the following provisional measures for the 2006 fishing year:
1) reduce the commercial harvest in Albemarle Sound and Chowan River to 100,000 pounds total, with 80,000 pounds to the Chowan River pound net fishery, 10,000 pounds to the gill net fishery, and 10, 000 pounds for discretionary use; 2) prohibit the use of gill nets less than 3 ¼ inches in the Albemarle Sound Management Area from January 1 –May 1; and 3) reduce the river herring recreational bag limit to 12 per person per day (down from 25).

The committee will receive updates on MFC/DMF activities that affect the Northeast District.

If you have any questions, please call Sara Winslow at 800-338-7805 or 252-264-3911 or Jess Hawkins at 800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021.
###

MFC NORTHEAST REGIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING
Thursday, October 20, 2005 6:00 p.m.
Edenton Council Chambers Edenton, NC

AGENDA



- Introduction

- Modifications to the Agenda

- Approval of Minutes-
- July 21, 2005

- Update

- Atlantic Ocean Commercial Striped Bass Limited Entry
- Off Road Vehicle Use – Cape Hatteras National Seashore
- Draft Shrimp FMP
- Atlantic Ocean Striped Bass Recreational Monitoring
- Recreational Commercial Large Mesh Gill Net Attendance
- Petition to Declare Oysters an Endangered Species
- NMFS Bottlenose Dolphin Rules
- Areas Restricted to Mechanical Harvest for Oysters
- Crab Pot Area Proclamation

- Potential Interim Management Measures for the River Herring Fishery
- Public Comment
- Discussion
- Recommendations

- Next Meeting
- Issues