Tag Archives: Commercial Fishing

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State Seeks Applicants for Saltwater Fishing License Projects

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. — The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is accepting applications for proposals for the 2012 funding cycle from the N.C. Marine Resources Fund.

The fund, which receives proceeds from the sale of Coastal Recreational Fishing Licenses, provides grants for projects that help manage, protect, restore, develop, cultivate and enhance the state’s marine resources.

Only universities, North Carolina local government entities, the state Division of Marine Fisheries and Wildlife Resources Commission are eligible to apply. Others must partner with one of these eligible entities.

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Central Southern Striped Bass Committee Meeting Set

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. — The N.C. Estuarine Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan Central Southern Management Area Advisory Committee to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will meet June 1, at 6 p.m.  The meeting will be held at the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Regional Office, 943 Washington Square Mall, Washington.

For more information, contact Katy West, with the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, at (800) 338-7804 or (252) 946-6481 or Katy.West@ncdenr.gov, or call the commission office at (252)-808-8023.

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N.C. Blue Crab Fishery Management Plan Advisory Committee to meet May 23

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. — The N.C. Blue Crab Fishery Management Plan Advisory Committee to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will meet May 23, at 6 p.m.  The meeting will be held at the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Regional Office, 943 Washington Square Mall in Washington, N.C.

For more information, contact Sean McKenna at 800-338-7804 or Sean.McKenna@ncdenr.gov or Lynn Henry at 800-405-7774 or Lynn.Henry@ncdenr.gov, with the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, or call the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission office at 252-808-8022.

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Fisheries Commission Wants Public Input on Ocean Striped Bass Hook-and-Line Fishery

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. — The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will ask the public what it thinks about a commercial hook and line fishery for ocean-caught striped bass.

The commission voted Thursday to take the issue to its four regional advisory committees and its Finfish Advisory Committee to receive input from the fishing public and to consider that input at the commission’s August meeting. Committee meeting dates and locations will be announced later.

The commission has not yet decided if it wants to create this fishery.

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Commercial seafood harvests rose slightly in 2010

ATLANTIC BEACH, N.C. – North Carolina commercial seafood harvests rose slightly, by 4 percent, in 2010 to the highest level since 2005.

The same was true for recreational harvests, which inched up 6 percent after a 15 percent decline in 2009.

“The increase is a surprise considering increased regulations, including many seasonal closures, imposed by the federal councils and the National Marine Fisheries Service, as well as restrictions from the sea turtle lawsuit settlement,” said N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries Director Louis Daniel. “Additional increases in fuel and commodity prices might have been expected to actually cause the numbers to decline.”

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N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission to meet May 11-13 in Atlantic Beach

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. – The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will meet May 11-13 at the Sheraton Atlantic Beach Oceanfront Hotel, 2717 W. Fort Macon Road, Atlantic Beach.

The meeting is open to the public.

The commission is slated to consider options to allow a commercial hook-and-line fishery for striped bass in the Atlantic Ocean. At its February meeting, the commission directed the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries to examine a commercial hook-and-line fishery for ocean-caught striped bass to help avoid waste. The directive came after the commission reviewed incidents of dead discards of striped bass in the ocean trawl fishery this winter.

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Central Southern Striped Bass Committee meeting set for May 4

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. — The N.C. Estuarine Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan Central Southern Management Area Advisory Committee to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will meet May 4, at 6 p.m.  The meeting will be held at the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Regional Office, 943 Washington Square Mall, Washington.

For more information, contact Katy West, with the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, at (800) 338-7804 or (252) 946-6481 or Katy.West@ncdenr.gov, or call the commission office at (252)-808-8023.

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N.C. Blue Crab Fishery Management Plan Advisory Committee to Meet May 2

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. –The N.C. Blue Crab Fishery Management Plan Advisory Committee to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will meet May 2, at 6 p.m.  The meeting will be held at the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Regional Office, 943 Washington Square Mall, Washington.

For more information, contact Sean McKenna at 800-338-7804 or Sean.McKenna@ncdenr.gov or Lynn Henry at 800-405-7774 or Lynn.Henry@ncdenr.gov, with the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, or call the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission office at 252-808-8022.

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Federal Fishery Advisory Panel Seats Open to Applicants

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is soliciting applications for seats currently available on its advisory panels.  Working at the grass roots level, advisory panel members provide information and guidance in the development and implementation of federal fishery management plans.  The Council has 15 separate advisory panels composed of individuals who are engaged in the harvest of, or are knowledgeable and interested in the conservation and management of the fishery or group of fishes to be managed.  Members include recreational and commercial fishermen, seafood dealers and processors, conservationists, scientists, and concerned citizens.

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Fish dealers gound guilty of illegal Red Drum transactions

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. – The N.C. Marine Patrol recently wrapped up criminal cases against three fish house owners caught buying red drum without reporting the transaction.

Donald Carlisle Gilgo of Coastal Seafood in Sea Level, William Jerry Warren of Fresh Ketch in Grantsboro and Floyd Shelton Cuthrell of S&S Seafood in Aurora were all found guilty in their respective county courts of not recording fish on a trip ticket. They were ordered to pay replacement costs to the N.C. Marine Fisheries Conservation Fund totaling $9,671.50.

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Federal Fisheries Managers Hold Meetings of Public Interest

If you fish in federal waters more than three miles off the South Atlantic coast, chances are there is a meeting scheduled in the coming weeks regarding federal fisheries that is of interest to you.  Please see the list below and mark your calendars.  All meetings are open to the public and public comment is being solicited as noted below.  Additional information, including meeting agendas and briefing book materials will be posted on the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Web site at www.safmc.net as they become available.

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Southern Flounder Advisory Committee meeting set

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. — The Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Advisory Committee to the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will meet at 6 p.m. on April 13 at the N.C. Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Regional Field Office, 943 Washington Square Mall in Washington, N.C.

For more information contact division biologist Chris Batsavage at (252) 808-8088 or Chris.Batsavage@ncdenr.gov or call the Marine Fisheries Commission office at 252-808-8023.

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Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan Committee to Meet

MOREHEAD CITY, NC — The Albemarle Sound and Roanoke River Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan Advisory Committee to the N.C. Department of Environmental and Natural Resources will meet at 6:30 p.m., April 8 at the Vernon G. James Research and Extension Center, 207 Research Station Road, Plymouth.

For more information, contact Charlton Godwin, striped bass biologist with the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, at 252-264-3911 or Charlton.Godwin@ncdenr.gov or the division’s Marine Fisheries Commission Office at 252-808-8023 or 800-682-2632.

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Marine Fisheries Commission Seeks Striped Bass Advisors

MOREHEAD CITY, NC – The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission is looking for commercial and recreational fisherman and scientists to serve on two Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan Advisory Committees.

One of the committees will assist the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries in updating the Albemarle Sound/Roanoke River portion of the state’s Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan. The other will assist in updating the section of the plan that pertains to the central and southern waters of the state.

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South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to Hold Public Hearings on – Snapper and Grouper Management Issues

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a series of 7 public hearings from November 2 through November 16, 2009 regarding three amendments to the Council’s Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan for the South Atlantic Region.  With the exception of a hearing scheduled in Newport News, Virginia on November 16, 2009, all hearings will be held from 3:00 PM until 7:00 PM.  The hearing scheduled for November 16th will begin at 6:00 PM.

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Commercial Ocean Striped Bass Fisherman Need New Permit

MOREHEAD CITY, NC – Commercial fishermen wishing to participate in the ocean striped bass fishery this winter need to purchase an Atlantic Ocean Striped Bass Commercial Gear Permit.

This new permit costs $10 and is available at any N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries license office. Fisherman can also call the division to request a mail-in application.

The permit must be obtained before Nov. 1 for fishermen to be eligible to participate in the fishery.  Fishermen will be allowed to obtain only one permit per person.

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Commercial Fishing License Eligibility Board To Meet

MOREHEAD CITY,  NC – The Commercial License Eligibility Board Committee to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will meet at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 6 at the Division of Marine Fisheries in the conference room, 3441 Arendell St., Morehead City.  For more information, contact Cristy Giddens at 910-796-7215 or Cristy.Giddens@ncdenr.gov.

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N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries releases 2008 landings report; commercial seafood landings up 13% in 2008

MOREHEAD CITY, NC — North Carolina commercial seafood landings rose by 13 percent in 2008, bolstered by the best hard blue crab harvest since 2003. The increase ends a previous five-year decline for the state’s seafood industry.

Of the 71.2 million pounds of seafood sold to dealers last year, nearly half, or 32.9 million pounds, were hard blue crabs, according to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ Trip Ticket Program. Hard crabs also contributed $25 million to the $87 million total dockside value of seafood in 2008, a $4 million increase from the 2007 total.