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North Carolina Department of Environment Quality

NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Marine Fisheries - Proclamation M-02-2020

Marine Fisheries
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M-2-2020

PROCLAMATION

RE: GILL NET RESTRICTIONS: INTERNAL COASTAL WATERS – OPENS MANAGEMENT UNIT C TO THE USE OF GILL NETS WITH STRETCHED MESH LENGTH OF 4 INCHES THROUGH 6 ½ INCHES-IMPLEMENTS GEAR EXEMPTIONS (INCREASES MESH SIZE) FOR THE SHAD FISHERY

This proclamation supersedes Proclamation M-22-2019 dated November 12, 2019. This proclamation opens Management Unit C to the use of gill nets with a stretched mesh length of 4 inches through 6 ½ inches and implements gear exemptions for the shad fishery in accordance with Amendment 2 to the N.C. Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan.

Stephen W. Murphey, Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 12:01 A.M., Saturday, February 15, 2020, the following provisions shall apply to the use of gill nets south of Management Unit A (south of 35° 46.3000’ N latitude):

I. AREA DESCRIPTIONS AND RESTRICTIONS (See maps):
It is unlawful to use gill nets with a stretched mesh length of 4 inches through 6 ½ inches in Internal Coastal Waters except in those areas described below. Areas not listed below are closed to gill nets (except those gill nets described in Section II.) with a stretched mesh length of 4 inches through 6 ½ inches; SEE SECTION II. FOR ADDITIONAL AREA RESTRICTIONS:

A. Management Unit C: Pamlico, Pungo, Bay and Neuse river drainages and Internal Coastal Waters of Pamlico Sound west of 76° 30.0000’ W.

II. GEAR EXEMPTIONS AND RESTRICTIONS FOR RUN-AROUND, STRIKE, DROP, TRAMMEL AND DRIFT GILL NETS
(Effective in all Management Units South of Management Unit A)

A. Exempted gear definitions (including trammel gill nets):
1. Run-around, strike, drop, or trammel gill nets - gill nets that are set and then are immediately retrieved.
2. Drift gill nets - gill nets that are used to capture fish while being moved along by water currents and the net being actively fished and attended from deployment through retrieval.
B. It is unlawful to use run-around, strike, drift, drop and trammel gill nets with a stretched mesh length greater than 6 ½ inches.

C. It is unlawful to use or possess more than 800 yards of run-around, strike, drop and trammel gill net per commercial fishing operation.

D. It is unlawful to use or possess more than 1,500 yards of drift gill net per commercial fishing operation.

III. GILL NET CONSTRUCTION AND USE REQUIREMENTS

A. Management Unit C:
It is unlawful to use or possess more than 1,500 yards of gill net with a stretch mesh length of 4 inches through 6 ½ inches per operation.

IV. GILL NET SETTING TIME REQUIREMENTS
It is unlawful to fail to actively fish gill net sets at least once each day, between sunrise and 12:01 P.M.

V. SEA TURTLE AND ATLANTIC STURGEON INTERACTION REPORTING
It is unlawful to fail to report any sea turtle or sturgeon captured in anchored gill nets. Reports shall be made within 24 hours of the capture to the Division of Marine Fisheries at 252-726-7021 or 800-682-2632. Self-reported takes of sea turtles and sturgeon by fishermen fishing without an observer do not count toward the allowable takes in the Incidental Take Permits.

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N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries • 3441 Arendell Street • Morehead City, NC 28557 • 252-726-7021 or 800-682-2632

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