NC MFC meetings on Oyster Restrictions

[NCangler]

NEW OYSTER RESTRICTIONS TO BE CONSIDERED

MOREHEAD CITY – The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) will be holding a series of meetings to discuss new limits on the mechanical harvest of oysters in Pamlico Sound tributaries.

The MFC is considering amending the state’s Oyster Fishery Management Plan to add additional restrictions on the harvest of oysters with mechanical methods in the rivers and bays around Pamlico Sound. The proposed amendments limit the weight of dredges to no more than 50 pounds and further restrict harvest days and catch limits in mechanical harvest areas. The MFC Shellfish Committee initiated the proposed amendments to help protect oyster habitat and restore the oyster resource.

The public is invited to comment on the proposed restrictions at the following public meetings:

January 24 Carteret Community College
6:00 PM C-MAST Building, Rm. 306 Morehead City

January 25 Pamlico County Courthouse
7:00 PM Upstairs Courtroom 202 Main Street Bayboro

January 27 Fire Station
7:00 PM 25 Oyster Creek Road Swan Quarter

For more information on the proposed amendments, please contact Mike Marshall, Division of Marine Fisheries in Morehead City, at 252-726-7021 or 800-682-2632.