M-10-2019

PROCLAMATION

RE: GILL NET RESTRICTIONS: INTERNAL COASTAL WATERS – SMALL MESH GILL NET ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS SUBUNIT B.1.

This proclamation supersedes proclamation M-3-2019 dated February 12, 2019. This proclamation implements attendance requirements for gill nets with a stretched mesh length less than 4 inches in Management Subunit B.1. It also decreases mesh size allowance for exempted gears in Section III.

Stephen W. Murphey, Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 6:52 P.M., Wednesday, May 1, 2019, 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 (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 those described below. Areas not listed below are closed to gill nets (including trammel gill nets) with a stretched mesh length of 4 inches through 6 ½ inches; (except as described in Section III.; SEE SECTION II. FOR ADDITIONAL AREA RESTRICTIONS):

A. Management Unit B: Internal Coastal Waters, bounded on the north by 35° 46.3000’ N latitude which runs approximately from the north end of Pea Island (old Coast Guard station) westerly to a point on the shore at Point Peter Canal, on the south by 34°48.2700’N latitude which runs approximately from the Club House on Core Banks westerly to a point on the shore at Davis near Marker “1”, and on the west by 76° 30.0000’W longitude.

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

C. Management Unit D2: all Internal Coastal Waters west of a line running from 34° 40.6740’ N – 76° 37.0000’ W to 34° 42.4800’ N – 76° 37.0000’ W then to the head of Turner Creek, and northerly up the western shoreline of the North River; and east of the NC Hwy 58 Bridge. Management Unit D2 includes Newport River (including the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and Harlowe Creek up to NC Hwy 101 Bridge) and Bogue Sound.

D. Management Unit E: all Internal Coastal Waters south and west of the Highway 58 Bridge to the North Carolina/South Carolina state line. This includes the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and adjacent sounds and the New, Cape Fear, Lockwood Folly, White Oak, and Shallotte rivers.

II. ADDITIONAL AREA RESTRICTIONS - MANAGEMENT UNIT E AND MANAGEMENT SUBUNIT B.1.

A. It is unlawful to use gill nets with a stretched mesh length of 4 inches through 6 ½ inches (except as described in Section III.) in the following portions of Management Unit E:

1. Cape Fear River and its tributaries north of the Railroad Bridge described as a line running from a point on the west shore at 34° 15.5760’ N - 77° 59.3000’ W; running easterly to a point on the east shore at 34°15.6270’ N - 77° 59.2300’ W.
2. Northeast Cape Fear River and its tributaries north of the Interstate 140 Bridge described as a line running from a point on the west shore at 34° 17.9430’ N - 77° 57.5540’ W to a point on the east shore at 34° 18.1320’ N - 77° 57.3790’ W.

B. It is unlawful to use unattended gill nets with a stretched mesh length less than 4 inches through November 30, 2019 in Management Subunit B.1. (Map 2): described as an area within the boundary described by a point beginning at 35° 46.3000’ N – 75° 32.1696’ W, the northeastern most boundary point of Management Unit B at Oregon Inlet running westerly to a point 35° 46.3000’ N – 75° 37.4665’ W and running southeasterly to a point 35° 44.1710’ N – 75° 31.0520’ W on the north point of Eagle Nest Bay.