M-20-2017

PROCLAMATION

RE: GILL NETS – ALBEMARLE SOUND AREA – MANAGEMENT UNIT A – CLOSING PORTIONS OF ALBEMARLE SOUND AND TRIBUTARIES TO LARGE MESH GILL NETS

This Proclamation supersedes proclamation M-18-2017 dated October 27, 2017. In Management Unit A, it closes the Albemarle Sound proper to the use of gill nets with a stretched mesh length of 5 ½ inches through 6 ½ inches, and allows the use of unattended, anchored small mesh gill nets (legal gill nets with a stretched mesh of 4 inches and smaller). Both anchored small mesh gill nets and gill nets with a stretched mesh length of 5 ½ inches through 6 ½ inches must be set to fish the bottom of the water column and not to exceed a vertical height of 48 inches.

Braxton C. Davis, Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 12:01 A.M., Friday, December 1, 2017 the following provisions shall apply to the use of gill nets in the following areas:

I. MANAGEMENT UNIT A DESCRIPTION AND SPECIFIC AREA RESTRICTIONS (Map 1)

A. Management Unit A: encompasses all Internal Coastal Waters bound on the south by 35° 46.3000’ N latitude to the North Carolina/Virginia state line. This includes Albemarle, Currituck, Croatan and Roanoke sounds and their tributaries.

B. It is unlawful to use ANY gill nets (including those described in Section IV.) in the area southwest of a line from Black Walnut Point 35° 59.3833’ N - 76° 41.0060’ W; running southeasterly to a point 35° 56.3333’ N - 76° 36.0333’ W at the mouth of Mackey’s Creek, including Roanoke, Cashie, Middle and Eastmost rivers.

C. The following Joint Waters of the Chowan, Perquimans, Little, Pasquotank, North and Alligator,rivers and portions of Currituck Sound are OPEN to the use of gill nets as described in Sections II., III., and IV.:

Chowan River: Joint Waters northwest of line beginning at a point on the west shore at Willow Branch 36° 04.7206' N - 76° 43.7667' W; running northeasterly to a point on the east shore at the mouth of Rocky Hock Creek 36° 06.6406' N - 76° 41.4512' W.
Perquimans River: Joint Waters northwest of a line beginning at a point on the west shore at Blount Point 36° 07.2950' N - 76° 20.7870' W; running northeasterly to a point on the east shore at Boat Ramp Road 36° 08.0160' N - 76° 19.1970' W.
Little River: Joint Waters northwest of a line beginning at a point on the west shore 36° 07.8420' N - 76° 13.7540' W; running northeasterly to a point on the east shore at Hobbs Landing Road 36° 08.2246' N - 76° 12.2828' W.
Pasquotank River: Joint Waters northwest of a line beginning at a point on the west shore at Pool Point 36° 13.3040' N - 76° 07.2430' W; running northeasterly to a point on the east shore at Miller Point 36° 14.3165' N - 76° 04.7984' W.
North River: Joint Waters north of a line beginning at a point on the west shore at the mouth of Broad Creek 36° 12.2197' N - 75° 57.2685' W; running easterly to a point on the east shore at the mouth of Duck Creek 36° 12.4056' N - 75° 54.2967' W.
Alligator River: Joint Waters south of line beginning at a point on the west shore at the mouth of Goose Creek 35° 50.2658' N - 76° 03.9115' W running easterly to a point on the east shore at the mouth of Milltail Creek 35° 50.5192' N - 75° 58.6134' W.
Currituck Sound: Joint waters north of a line beginning at a point on the west shore southwest of Dew’s Island 36° 11.2810' N -  75° 50.388' W running easterly to a point on the east shore 36° 11.3930' N - 75° 45.6910' W

II. GILL NET ATTENDANCE, MESH AND CONFIGURATION RESTRICTIONS
A fishing operation, regardless of the number of vessels or persons involved, shall adhere to the gill net restrictions specified:

A. Management Unit A:

1. It is unlawful to use gill nets with a stretched mesh length less than 3 inches and greater than 3 ¾ inches (gill nets with a stretched mesh length of 3 inches through 3 ¾ inches may be used) AND unless the nets are set to fish the bottom of the water column and not to exceed a vertical height of 48 inches. Vertical height is defined as the distance between the top and bottom lines of the net.
2. It is unlawful to use gill nets with a stretched mesh length greater than 3 ¾ inches and less than 5 ½ inches.
3. It is unlawful to use gill nets with a stretched mesh length greater than 6 ½ inches.
4. It is unlawful to use gill nets with a stretched mesh length of 5 ½ inches through 6 ½ inches EXCEPT IN THE AREAS DESCRIBED IN SECTION I.C., AND unless the nets are set to fish the bottom of the water column and not to exceed a vertical height of 48 inches. Vertical height is defined as the distance between the top and bottom lines of the net.
5. It is unlawful to fail to actively fish gill net sets at least once during a 24 hour period no later than noon each day.

III. GILL NET YARDAGE RESTRICTIONS
A fishing operation, regardless of the number of vessels or persons involved, shall adhere to the gill net yardage restrictions specified:

A. It is unlawful to use more than 800 yards of gill net with a stretched mesh length of 3 inches through 3¾ inches in any combination per commercial fishing operation.

B. It is unlawful to use more than 1,000 yards of gill net with a stretched mesh length of 5 ½ inches through 6 ½ inches.